tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74691804511490444292024-03-12T17:04:45.969-07:00A Wayward We GoCynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-86244136619835140952017-03-15T20:12:00.001-07:002017-03-17T04:19:52.216-07:00Moving Blogs!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi peeps,<br />
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I've migrated my blog to a new domain. After procrastinating for the last 5 years, I've finally switched over to WordPress (sorry blogger - I'm switching you in for a newer model).<br />
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The new link is here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.awaywardwego.com/"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-size: large;">www.awaywardwego.com</span> </span></a></div>
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You'll notice that all my old posts and comments are there. I just did a site migration, not a total overhaul. (I spent way too much effort on this blog to start from scratch). </div>
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Anyway, see y'all on the other side!</div>
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Cheers,</div>
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Cynth</div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-69571758397890107172017-02-19T22:54:00.000-08:002017-02-19T23:13:55.802-08:00Music Break <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I thought I'd take a break from the travel posts to blog about something a little different - music. As much as I love reminiscing about exchange, I realise that it's not very healthy (nor conducive to moving on) to spend so much time with my head buried in the past<i>. </i>At least that's what I tell myself as I scroll through photos from the past year all the while mentally screaming <i>YOU NEED TO DELETE ALL THIS STUFF FROM YOUR PHONE GURL. </i><br />
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<u><b>Hold - Vera Blue </b></u></div>
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Have you guys heard of Vera Blue? If not, maybe Celia Pavey, the girl who blew the judges away on the 2013 <i>The Voice Australia </i>auditions with her rendition of Scarborough Fair. For a while, it'd seemed like she'd dropped out of public awareness to do her own thing. I'm glad that she did though because she came back with a new stage name - Vera Blue - and she's absolutely smashed it with the song <i><b>Hold</b></i>.<br />
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I say this with 100% sincerity - she's the best vocalist Australia has right now. And the song is phenomenal. Just listen to that vocal layering in the pre-chorus. It's actually impossible to listen to this without feeling how incredibly emotionally invested she must have been when she wrote it. </div>
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<b style="text-align: center;"><u>Someone That Loves You - Honne & Izzy Bizu</u></b><br />
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I'm extremely grateful for this song because it introduced me to the musical genius that is Honne and Izzy Bizu's sweeter-than-caramel voice (props to the algorithm behind YouTube's recommended videos). The tune is ridiculously catchy and the video is a nostalgic punch to the gut - bringing back all the feels from last summer's Japan trip (which I will get around to blogging about...eventually).<br />
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I initially thought that this was a happy song. It's hard not to because the tune's just so uplifting. But when you actually tune in to the lyrics, you realise otherwise.<br />
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<i>Don't touch me, boy I want you<br />Not allowed to<br />You have someone that loves you, I'm waiting<br />And I'm patient, I'm deluded<br />You have someone that loves you</i></blockquote>
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<b><u>Drive It Like You Stole It - Sing Street</u></b> </div>
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If you haven't seen the movie <i>Sing Street</i>, you need to get on that, asap. It's about a group of Irish school boys who decide to form a band for the sole purpose of impressing a girl. It's full of catchy songs, which is what you'd expect from the director of <i>Once </i>and <i>Begin Again</i>. I'd describe it as a coming of age film set in the '80s with a healthy dose of comedy and drama. Check it out if you get the chance.<br />
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I chose this song because it kind of encapsulates the entire spirit of the film but honestly speaking, all the songs from the soundtrack are great.<br />
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<b><u>Sweet Child O' Mine - The cast of Captain Fantastic</u></b> </div>
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Speaking of songs from movies, I also really loved this cover of Sweet Child O' Mine from <i>Captain Fantastic</i>. It's sung by the relatively young cast at a pivotal point of the movie so I'm not sure if it'd have the same resonance to someone who hasn't seen the film but just in case anyone's a fan of uplifting covers of this song, I've posted it here anyway. Check it out.<br />
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<b><u>Flume - Say It feat. Tove Lo (Illenium Remix)</u></b></div>
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I know I'm jumping genres here and that this remix has been around for several months now but it wouldn't be right if I didn't include my most played song of 2016 in this list. I love Flume and I love Tove Lo so this song is basically an eargasm of epic proportions for me. (But for real though, <i>qqmusic </i>says I've played this song over 81 times in the last five months...)<br />
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<i>The beat dropped harder than my mood after coming back from exchange :')</i></div>
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On the topic of Tove Lo, how great is her new album? I especially loved <i>Flashes </i>and <i>True Disaster</i>. Now I just gotta wait for Illenium to remix those two as well. </div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-27778161095628973282017-02-11T00:48:00.000-08:002017-02-11T00:48:05.303-08:0010 Best Memories of China (Continued)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is a continuation of my 10 Best Memories of China post. Click <a href="http://awaywardwego.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/10-best-memories-of-china.html"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a> for part 1.<br />
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<u>6. Food</u><br />
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All. The. Food.<br />
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Food in China is relatively cheap. For example, a basic Chinese dinner could cost you about $4. Meals do cost more if you're going for something non-Chinese but by more expensive, I still only mean about $10 to stuff yourself...<br />
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I found that China was over saturated with Korean and Japanese food. Western food such as pizzas, pastas and burgers were also not that hard to find. Just be prepared to fork out a bit more cash. Second semester saw a whole bunch of Western restaurants such as <i>Mojitos </i>and <i>College Bar</i> spring up around campus, no doubt capitalising on the number of hungry international students. However, south-east Asian food was a bit harder to track down.<br />
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Also yes, brunch is a thing in China if you know where to find it.<br />
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<u>7. Hangouts in the Fourth Floor Kitchen</u><br />
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Some of my best memories of exchange were not the epic travel adventures or big nights out, but rather the moments where we just stayed in and hung out in the communal kitchens or spaces of our dorm.<br />
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In semester 1, it was the giant 15-person mafia nights that helped create friendships (or I suppose enemies). Then we realised that because we were in China, it was not that hard to get your hands on knock-off board games (bless China and it's lack of copyright enforcement). So mafia nights turned into Cards Against Humanity, Code Names and UNO nights. I also loved that we would cram 10 people into a tiny dorm room for a couple of rounds of charades. (Special mention to Kay for her epic impression of BDSM, gurl that was legendary).<br />
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<u>8. Class</u><br />
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Okay let's be honest, the most I learnt in class throughout the year was how to fake paying attention whilst actually catching up on sleep in class. However, classes at Zhejiang University were still a big part of the experience and like, sometimes they were fun. Speaking classes for example were great for playing games in the name of "education".<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Studying hard? Or hardly studying?</td></tr>
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I also learnt a lot about other cultures in class, since the teachers always made us do presentations on our own country.<br />
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<b>Sidenote</b>: It's actually really hard doing any sort of presentation on Australia. What's a national dish of ours? Uh...vegemite...? What's our national costume? Thongs and budgie smugglers? What's a national holiday? Uh...Australia Day, also known as the National Day of Invasion. Actually no let's not get into that.<br />
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Don't you just love it when the Thai students wrap up their presentations on beautiful traditional Thai style dresses and then you follow it up by whipping out this old beaut:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everybody this is the traditional Australian style "cork hat". We use it to keep away the giant, poisonous flies that we breed over here.</td></tr>
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<u>9. Turning 22 in China</u><br />
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Made me feel very appreciated. Especially when I woke up to find a colourful balloon curtain in front of my door and when people actually suited up for the birthday dinner. 'Twas cute.<br />
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<u>10. Karaoke Nights </u><br />
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So I tried to find a photo of us at karaoke (or "KTV") but either we were too wasted or too caught up in belting along to ABBA's <i>Dancing Queen</i> that we didn't take one. Ridiculous when you think about how many times we actually went to KTV. Almost every week, really...<br />
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I don't really like karaoke in Sydney. It's overpriced and you have to travel all the way into the city for it. But in China, KTV is one of the most common things people do with their friends, more so than clubbing or bar hopping. You're more likely to find a KTV than a club when walking down the street.<br />
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I don't know. There's just something immensely therapeutic about screaming along to Bon Jovi at 3am in the morning and then going for KFC next door because they're open 24/7. Sometimes we even stayed at KTV until 5am when they'd kick us out. <br />
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*****</div>
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Anyway, that was my list of Top 10 memories in China. Looking back, a lot of my top memories are top memories because of the people involved. Xi'an, for all its good food and great sites, would not have been that memorable if it wasn't for the company that came along. Christmas would not have been as nice if half of our international family had been missing. I honestly think that the best thing that comes out of exchange or study abroad are the relationships you make. Over time the specifics of what I did in China will fade but not the feelings of connection and friendship that I was lucky enough to experience when I was there.<br />
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-15990271601869466202017-02-10T23:22:00.001-08:002017-02-11T00:49:41.911-08:0010 Best Memories of China<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since I got back from China, I've been making an effort to catch up with people and hear about the things that I probably would've known if it wasn't for my year of minimal Facebook exposure.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<u>In the midst of conversation</u>: "<i>Oh yeah no, I totally knew you were in a relationship."</i><br />
<u>Internal thought process</u>: "<i>Go home and stalk X person's Facebook/blog to find out name of person they're dating, how they started dating and when they started dating, so I don't look like a shit friend."</i></blockquote>
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<a name='more'></a>Everyone's been super nice and patient with me though so here's a massive shout-out to you all for being fabulous human beings. As I said in my last post, I appreciate the fact that people ask and show interest in my year abroad, even if it's just out of politeness. Unfortunately, I'm not very good at answering the "How's China?" question when put on the spot. My brain kind of does this thing where it short circuits from trying to condense a whole year's worth of memories and experiences into a semi-intelligible, sophisticated response. The result being I'll end up saying something stupidly mundane like "Oh the air pollution wasn't as bad as I thought it'll be". <i>Riveting stuff, I know. </i><br />
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Anyway, I thought I'd write this post to better sum up the year that I had. The great thing about a list is that it forces me to be selective about my memories, ergo no waffling on about the mundane crap no one wants to hear about. And you can choose to tune out anytime you feel bored. Woohoo!<br />
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Quick Note: These are not in any particular order. I just randomly chose the top 10 things that stood out to me the most from the experience.<br />
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<b><u>10 Best Memories of China</u></b></div>
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<u>1. Celebrating Christmas at the dorms</u><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot the Australians, Canadians, Swede, Finn, Koreans, Japanese, French, Italian...</td></tr>
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To be honest, it wouldn't have really mattered how we celebrated, as long as we did it together. In saying that, I don't know how it could've worked out any better. For Christmas, our international squad family ordered the same ugly sweater for a cheesy photo. We also did Secret Santa with a 50 kuai ($10) budget and made an event out of cooking together in the communal kitchens. Seeing that my culinary skills are... somewhat limited, I chose to make vegetable fritters in the mistaken belief that there'd be no way I could screw up grating vegetables and frying them.<br />
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Okay so I totally burnt them but whatever, PEOPLE STILL ATE THEM ALL.<br />
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After dinner, we all piled into Nicole's room for Secret Santa - no easy feat by the way seeing as how there were like 20 of us and her room's something like 4m x 8m. I loved that her room became the default hangout space. I guess that's what happens when you're the only one with Christmas lights and a tree.<br />
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All in all, it was a simple, cozy affair made all the better by the fact that we got to spend it together.<br />
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<u>2. Hangzhou's West Lake</u><br />
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So this one isn't really a single memory but I felt like it wouldn't be right to have a top 10 list without at least mentioning Hangzhou's most beautiful attraction.<br />
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I love the lake. I love that it was different every season and that it was surrounded by amazing gardens and pagodas on many sides. Many fond memories were made here. I came here with friends in semester 1 and 2, I came here when I needed time alone to think and I came here with my family when they came to visit in September.<br />
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<u>3. My Ebike </u><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I gave it eyes. Totally not lame.</td></tr>
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Granted, it wasn't very fast and the battery gauge lied (hence multiple instances of me almost getting stranded in the middle of nowhere), but it was mine and it got me where I wanted to go. Hangzhou traffic is terrible - worse than Sydney's. But those who have an ebike are able to use the bike lanes and therefore bypass all of the disgusting congestion. It also means you only have to worry about cars when turning or crossing the road. Technically, my model of ebike wasn't really legal (it's supposed to be more more powerful and faster than the standard ebike), but as a foreigner you can kind of get away with anything in China.<br />
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I sold my baby before I left to go home but I trust that his new owner will take good care of him :')<br />
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<u>4. Xi'an</u><br />
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Somewhere in the middle of second semester, I took a trip to Xi'an with a couple of friends. Although Xi'an wasn't the most spectacular city I've been to in China, I remember this trip fondly because the company was good and it was one of the more relaxing holidays.<br />
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For me, food > sites of great historical significance. So while the Terracotta Warriors were impressive, the highlight for me was the Muslim Quarter. The Muslim Quarter is basically a series of blocks near the drum tower that used to be where the Muslim community of Xi'an lived. Today it is still that but has become one of the most famous food areas of the city. We basically spent an entire evening wandering around, trying foods such as meat kebabs, 羊肉泡馍 (mutton soup with pieces of shredded bread) and specially baked breads seasoned with cumin. Cue Xi'an food montage:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meat kebabs flavoured with cumin and other spices</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand-stretched noodles known as <i>biangbiangmian </i>(named after the sound they make when stretched)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oven baked bread flavoured with various seasonings</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mutton soup with bread pieces - tastes a lot better than it looks. We had to shred the bread ourselves. The waitress kept coming over to tell us we weren't doing it properly as the pieces were too big. This is why I don't cook my own food. </td></tr>
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<u>5. Nine Bar Parties</u><br />
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Every university or college has its local watering hole for students looking to get drunk on a budget. 9 Bar was the place for students at our campus. You could get a long island for 20 kuai here ($4) and tequila shots for 5 kuai ($1). Yes the alcohol was not the best and probably cut with dodgy substances but hey, this is China and that happens everywhere. You just have to accept that your body will suffer in this country so to deal with that fact, you should just keep yourself in a constant state of intoxication #lifeadvicefromCynthia<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celine's birthday party at 9 Bar - she booked out the place for the event</td></tr>
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All the best student parties were at 9 Bar, mainly because everyone on campus would be there at the same time. 9 Bar was also famous for the calibre of the pool players who were there, which is why I got so into the game during the year.<br />
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Special mention to H-Linx as well, the club that was usually where the after party would migrate to after 9 Bar. Haha, hate it or love it, you would end up at linx either way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">H-linx</td></tr>
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*****</div>
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This list is getting too long so for a continuation of my 10 best memories of China, please click <a href="http://awaywardwego.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/10-best-memories-of-china-continued.html"><span style="color: red;">here</span></a>. </div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-56246236996518634652017-02-06T22:49:00.000-08:002017-02-06T22:49:05.758-08:00What It's Like to Come Home From Exchange <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Basically, it will suck.<br />
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So a few years ago, I went on a one-month volunteering trip to Thailand and had one of the most amazing experiences of my life. When I got back, I wrote a <a href="http://awaywardwego.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/missing-thailand-post-travel-depression.html"><span style="color: red;">blog post</span> </a>about how post-travel depressed I felt and how I just wanted to get back there and relive the whole experience.<br />
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Oh 2015 Cynthia, my child, how unprepared you were.<br />
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Fast forward to today, 7 February 2017. It's been a week since I got back from my one year exchange in Hangzhou, China and although it's been quite nice to breathe smog-free air again and not almost get killed every time I try to cross the road, I can't say it's been easy to be back.<br />
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Let's not sugercoat it guys, it sucks. Like epic-ly. It's like going through a breakup but worse because you don't even get to keep the friends you made since they've all moved overseas. So then you try to distract yourself with activities before remembering that you're a student who gave up your job before going overseas, ergo poor AF. Consequently, you end up curled in your bed like a total loser, scrolling through old photos until your mum yells at you to take the trash out because of course, you've gone back to living at home.<br />
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As far as first world problems go, trying to readjust after coming back from exchange is pretty high up there. If I was to look at it objectively, it does seem pretty ridiculous. After all, I only spent one of my twenty-two years of existence overseas, where did all that pre-existing loyalty and love for my own country go?<br />
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But as those who've been on exchange probably know, in that one year or 6 months, you grow so much as a person. You basically build an entire life over there from scratch. And every day is an adventure, an opportunity to experience something new, so the return to mundane routine feels like regression, like you've taken 100 steps back. The friendships also feel accelerated when you're on exchange. It's easier to get close to people when you basically see them everyday, travel together frequently and spend many a night making full use of those 5 kuai ($1 AUD) tequilo shots at 9bar. It feels like I've known them for three years instead of one.<br />
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I miss the routine I had in China; the familiarity of the dorms, the campus, the city, and the way the lake changes every season. I miss the way we all became each other's family and hung out in the kitchens playing board games when the weather got too cold for going outside. I miss being able to meet people from all around the world, and see that there is more to offer from life. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Class 3.7, Semester 2, Zhejiang University (Yuquan)</td></tr>
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But in saying that, I also know that exchange-life is not a sustainable lifestyle. As an exchange student, you don't have to deal with the responsibilities of work or long-term planning. Everything is about the here and now which I guess is why you are able to have such an amazing, carefree time.<br />
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I'm lucky enough to still have a foundation here, a home, a family, friends. Shout-out to my friends by the way. I appreciate that y'all still wanna hang out with me. And that most of you are cool enough to pretend to listen and be interested in my year overseas. (Even if you don't, 100% do not blame you because it's hard to be interested in something that didn't happen to you personally.)<br />
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<i>Sidenote</i>: Last night I told my mum I was feeling sad about being back in Sydney and she basically gave me the best wake up call ever. She said, "Well imagine if you had to leave your country permanently because of war. And you had to say goodbye to your friends and family, not knowing if they would ever see them again, or if they would even survive."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama Vuong, givin' it to me straight</td></tr>
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I don't want this to be a post about me complaining about being back home - because it's not. Sydney is great and I know that with time, I will discover again all the reasons that I love it. And over these last few days, I've read a whole range of articles about people feeling similar emotions after coming back from exchange, with many saying that they'd done their year abroad in Australia. It just comes to show that it's not necessarily the place, but rather the people and connections that we make abroad that we end up valuing the most.<br />
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So to all those who've done exchange or study abroad before, I just want to say that I now understand what it's like. And to those who are about to go or planning to go, I hope you make the most of your time as it is one of the most amazing things you will ever experience in life.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Lake, Hangzhou (西湖,杭州)</td></tr>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-84282462608815136662016-09-01T00:58:00.000-07:002016-09-01T01:02:54.411-07:00AmsterDAYUM son!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Oh Amsterdam.<br />
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Do I even need to write a blog post for Amsterdam?<br />
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Or can I just spam you with photos of this gorgeous, picturesque city?<br />
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Amsterdam is ridiculously pretty. So much so that I don't even care that there wasn't much to do in this city. Just walking around taking photos of bridges, flowers, boats and those quaint little canal houses was enough to keep me amused. Throw in a bit of cheese tasting here and there and Cynthia is one happy traveler. <br />
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Here are some fun facts I picked up during my time here:<br />
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<li>Dutch people are the tallest people on the planet. We did a Sandeman's 'free' walking tour and the guide joked that it was a process of natural selection. As global warming increases, sea levels rise and thus it becomes more difficult for short humans to survive in canal-based environments such a Amsterdam. Heh. </li>
<li>15 people die each year from pissing into Amsterdam canals and subsequently falling in. Hence why public urinals aka 'de crul' are a thing in this city</li>
<li>The narrowest house in Amsterdam is 2.02 metres across</li>
<li>Contrary to popular belief, marijuana has never technically been made legal in this city, it's only been decriminalised. What this means is that the selling of drug is actually not legal. It is just widely tolerated as long as it is done in a limited, controlled way. The coffeeshops are constantly under surveillance by authorities and large scale production is still forbidden</li>
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The Rijks Museum I'd recommend if you had an afternoon to spare. Go for <i>The Night's Watch.</i>.The museum also does a good job of taking you through a logical timeline of Dutch history, starting from 1200 right up to the present. If you follow the signs, you don't need to do too much doubling back to go see something you've missed - which is nice if you're slightly OCD like me. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLKSsO-aT_a1FVOiIgfHIp5igUKdlw9wwBlt5PFyjrpaEtA7AqalwpGueKfDb9D3EGnkQXt4GyEAd57b0_72bpGixkbiOUaxsoi9vtoNb_p2vPV552qifwnaxu-FDg5AnROpYZWHqRXkv/s1600/IMG_20160710_154331_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnLKSsO-aT_a1FVOiIgfHIp5igUKdlw9wwBlt5PFyjrpaEtA7AqalwpGueKfDb9D3EGnkQXt4GyEAd57b0_72bpGixkbiOUaxsoi9vtoNb_p2vPV552qifwnaxu-FDg5AnROpYZWHqRXkv/s640/IMG_20160710_154331_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woah mate, getting a bit grabby there aren't you? </td></tr>
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We originally weren't planning to go to the Anne Frank house because of how hard it was to get tickets (you need to either book very early in advance or be willing to queue up for a million years). But during our Sandeman's tour, we heard that the official website was now doing this thing where they would release a set number of tickets at a specific time of day (might've been 11am) and if you were lucky enough to be online at that time, you could potentially snag a ticket or two. We got tickets by doing this and I'm so glad I got to avoid this MASSIVE MASSIVE QUEUE like wtf you'll be 90 by the time you reach the end??</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't even see the end of the line</td></tr>
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On a totally different note, we also went to check out the Red Light District during our time in Amsterdam to see what all the fuss about. I found it more interesting to observe how the male tourists were acting towards the female sex workers than the actual sex workers themselves. Felt like the men should've been the ones behind the glass instead, considering how...animal-like they were acting. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You do you Amsterdam, you do you.</td></tr>
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<b><u>Final Thoughts</u></b><br />
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I really like Amsterdam. I like how liberal their attitudes are towards issues like sex work, drugs and sexuality. They're very much about regulating through decriminalization and normalising practices and I think if they've managed to make it work, then the world really should learn from their example. Of course, their society's open-mindedness is largely responsible for the success and perhaps it wouldn't be as easy implementing the same models in say Australia or somewhere else where society is still largely conservative (despite outwardly protesting not to be).<br />
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Stay cool Amsterdam xx<br />
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-14198313018927974962016-08-31T04:57:00.002-07:002016-08-31T04:59:21.837-07:00London<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">I suppose one good thing that's come out of this G20 city-wide lockdown in Hangzhou is the fact that I now have time to catch up on my blogs, seeing as there is literally NOTHING ELSE TO DO WITH MY TIME HERE. I've cleaned my room three times in the past week. </span><i style="text-align: left;">Three times</i><span style="text-align: left;">. You know things are desperate when Cynthia actually starts doing chores for fun.</span></div>
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Anyhow, since I now have the time, I thought I could do something about all the photos from my summer trip that are currently taking up precious storage space on my laptop. (And maybe if I'm desperate enough I might even get around to posting about the India trip from eight months ago...). I mean, what's the point of taking photos on vacation anyway if you're not planning to post them somewhere for peer validation and personal gratification right? It's not like I took them to immortalise the memories and experiences I had on this trip. </div>
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Ah, London. What can I say about London that hasn't already been lauded enough in pop culture/immortalised in at least one scene of Love Actually or Harry Potter?<br />
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Probably nothing, but for the sake of getting this post's word count above 150, let's try.<br />
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First off, London weather was amazing for the five days we (my friend Kay and I) were there. Unheard of, I know, but the pictures act as proof. We were told though that those five days were the nicest five days locals had seen in a while all summer. If it wasn't for the fact that the British complain about it so much, I would say that crap English weather was a myth made up by locals to keep the irritating tourists away.<br />
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I would like to say I had the pleasure of tasting some of the above food but we stupidly had breakfast before heading off to the markets so yeah, we dun goofed.<br />
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I wish I could tell you more about food in London but to be honest, we had a lot of home cooked meals while we were there, due to staying with Kay's sister the entire time. Her sister's cooking though? 10/10. No regrets at all. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camden, like Newtown in Sydney but on crack</td></tr>
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When I look at London, I see it as everything that Sydney had hoped and aspired to be, but ultimately failed to achieve. It's like comparing the overachieving golden child to its more awkward, acne-prone sibling. London is older, more experienced, with a genuine sense of history and heritage, but at the same time worldly and unique enough to hold its own in the 21st century. Sydney is... young and confused and it wants to copy London in terms of architecture and infrastructure but doesn't have the money nor innovative ingenuity to do so.<br />
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Both cities are highly diverse, evidence a mixture of traditional and modern architecture, crazy about pub culture, expensive as fuck to live in, crazily health conscious and have both named their biggest park in the CBD Hyde Park (although I'm pretty sure the Aussies just copied the Brits on this one). London just has that indescribable buzz that Sydney doesn't. You can argue that Sydney's got great beaches but it's not like we worked hard for those...we just lucked out on the geographical lottery there, haha.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hyde Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of London from the Sky Garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kay's sister got us tickets to the Sky Garden. The view here is supposedly better than that of the London Eye.</td></tr>
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Apologies for the Sydney bashing. Sydney's my home and I'm very fond of it but it's such a small small place in comparison to the rest of the world - perhaps not geography wise but in the sense of identity, culture, life, etc. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9LdVRO6_LaE9s6kGo3Co0MXeqtHPhF4pCuRSIjmfzOQk-BUrXSR-4Cjvwyj1KXluCvnkffTsAZfThtw815MdLB-YC5uL67Di4dAkQ-vEciC5HVPe7OC4iIWGjSu4x2sGSAZgZ7rUEQdL/s1600/IMG_20160707_142618_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9LdVRO6_LaE9s6kGo3Co0MXeqtHPhF4pCuRSIjmfzOQk-BUrXSR-4Cjvwyj1KXluCvnkffTsAZfThtw815MdLB-YC5uL67Di4dAkQ-vEciC5HVPe7OC4iIWGjSu4x2sGSAZgZ7rUEQdL/s640/IMG_20160707_142618_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Kay and I went and saw two musicals during our time in London. The first one was the <i>Book of Mormon</i> and that was hilarious, though not for those who are politically correct, religious or easily offended. The second one was <i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> and a spontaneous decision (we bought the tickets a few hours before the show) seeing how much we liked the first experience. Tip for anyone who's also looking for cheap tickets to London shows: the <a href="http://www.officiallondontheatre.co.uk/buy-tickets/tkts/"><span style="color: red;">TKTS booth</span></a> in Leicester Square often sells last minute tickets on a whole range of shows for less than half the original price. The only thing is that you have to buy them in person (but it's totally worth it).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this is what they mean by postcard picture perfect.</td></tr>
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We did a lot of walking while we were in London which I didn't mind at all. It seems like everywhere you go, there's something new to see, or an iconic location that you need to take a tourist snap in front of. There were a couple of times where I felt that the journey there was more rewarding than the actual destination. Piccadilly Circus for example - it's kinda like the Times Square of London and sure, it looks pretty on your instagram, but if you're a poor student who's got no money to spare on anything that's not food, there's not really that much to do there. In fact, apart from a really obnoxious red, blue and white LONDON hat that I bought my dad (he collects them), I'm pretty sure I did zero shopping while in this city. </div>
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As you can see below, we also spent a day at the British Museum where I learnt a lot about Egypt, Ancient Greek and not so much about Great Britain. I also saw <strike>the Rosetta Stone</strike> a lot of people taking photos of the Rosetta Stone. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just the tip.</td></tr>
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<b><u>Final Thoughts </u></b><br />
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I loved London. Out of all the European cities I visited on this trip, it would have to be my favourite. Maybe this was partly due to the fact that it was our first destination after being in China for five months and we were just so happy to be in a country where communication wasn't a constant struggle, coffee was actually affordable and people weren't trying to run you over on the streets Grand Theft Auto style. But mostly it was because London is London and it's such a beautiful and interesting city. I'm going to make it my goal to be able to live and work here someday in the future.<br />
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-34353824183063430372016-08-20T23:31:00.000-07:002016-08-20T23:31:33.939-07:00What it's like to be in Hangzhou, China during the G20<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hangzhou during the G20 is not a fun place to be. Granted, any place during the G20 is not somewhere you'd want to be hanging around, what with the tightened security and closure of public infrastructure that comes along with hosting an event of such importance, but Hangzhou definitely takes it one step further.<br />
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I came back last week from my grand world tour (which, by the way, is going to see me living off instant noodles for the rest of my time on exchange - NO RAGRETS) to find that quite a lot has changed. In the past, the campus has always been relatively empty at this time of year as students go back home for the holidays but this year, thanks to the G20, has turned it into practically a ghost town.<br />
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There are four people living on my floor in the dorms right now, as opposed to the 25-ish that were there in June. Four out of the six cafeterias on campus have shut down and the remaining two are only open for a couple of hours every day. That would be fine if it wasn't also for the fact that most of the restaurants and cafes outside campus weren't also closed 'due to the G20'. What bearing could small independent cafes located miles away from the actual meeting location have on the G20? I don't know but clearly the government has deemed them a threat to national security so y'all should just order your cappuccinos and make your plans of sabotage elsewhere.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiZIDmhMsBRvdO893hQp2IGOOHO8viZF1I7MKPxcR75yQyQchZuwTFwmsVIT9ITUcEChSE5FYN201sx9dxBC34dTFyBsyYJY_rEF6eP2c0-uomeQaOZ_z-a18jlrDnHIJ5HwBXQebxyT8/s1600/Screenshot_2016-08-21-13-52-53_com.baidu.BaiduMap.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDiZIDmhMsBRvdO893hQp2IGOOHO8viZF1I7MKPxcR75yQyQchZuwTFwmsVIT9ITUcEChSE5FYN201sx9dxBC34dTFyBsyYJY_rEF6eP2c0-uomeQaOZ_z-a18jlrDnHIJ5HwBXQebxyT8/s400/Screenshot_2016-08-21-13-52-53_com.baidu.BaiduMap.png" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Screenshot of Baidu maps showing a section of the lake which has been blocked off<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For fun, here's a whole bunch of other changes that have taken place. Some of these are actually reasonable whilst others are laughably ridiculous:<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Areas around the West Lake have been cordoned off so if you're thinking of doing some sightseeing of Hangzhou's most famous attraction, don't. </li>
<li>Many gyms and swimming pools have been closed so if you're thinking of exercising off all that fried chicken and sushi you ate on holidays, you can't. </li>
<li>The guard at the north gate of campus will no longer let you come in after 6pm. You've got to the take the long way round (about a 15 minute walk). But that's totally fine because:</li>
<li>Most clubs and bars, in they aren't closed for the G20, are only open until 12am anyway. Party? What party? You're better off having a Netflix party in your room by yourself. Oh, but living on campus isn't exactly easy now because:</li>
<li>They're renovating the kitchens on campus so you can no longer access drinking water in the international dorm. Want to make tea, oats or instant noodles? You should probably invest in a kettle and just leave it in your room. </li>
<li>But like, make sure shops are open for you to actually buy the kettle because chances are, they've been closed for the G20. </li>
<li>Even if you want to live off campus for the time being, a weird new rule that they've introduced only allows foreigners to stay in 4 or 5 star accommodation during the G20. So if you're broke af (like me), it's clearly not an option</li>
<li>Carry your passport with you at all times because random checks (especially for foreigners) are now a thing</li>
</ol>
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On the upside, internet has never been faster since you don't have to compete with other students for torrenting speed. I may or may not have binge watched Stranger Things in two days because of this. <b>Sidenote</b>: The night that I finished episode 2 was the night my bathroom light started acting up. Flickering lights + episode 2 of Stranger Things + an irrational fear of the dark that I've never gotten over = lol sleep, what sleep?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAoRMqXgSE630XIUbh-5Sg0uNA349H9tkan3xym7vGKoEMMiCVPbUNc4ybzA9xuMYjaQCxpMrjSmaPjX0U3bzMs8e5dr15sMR0nvMSqtSQ7fmNZr7XUPOZTGBeTpHHhCFI1NnE2INn8RbJ/s1600/IMG_20160816_112822_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAoRMqXgSE630XIUbh-5Sg0uNA349H9tkan3xym7vGKoEMMiCVPbUNc4ybzA9xuMYjaQCxpMrjSmaPjX0U3bzMs8e5dr15sMR0nvMSqtSQ7fmNZr7XUPOZTGBeTpHHhCFI1NnE2INn8RbJ/s640/IMG_20160816_112822_HDR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice at the gym stating that due to the G20, y'all gotta take your fat arses somewhere else to exercise. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My theory is that the government is closing down all these services and facilities, not because they are a disturbance to the G20 preparations per se, but that they want to make it as inconvenient as possible for people to be in Hangzhou during the summit. The more people they can get out, the better it is for the city's image, cleanliness, traffic, air quality, etc. <br />
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I recently got an email from the Chinese university stating that they're giving away free trips to students to areas outside of Hangzhou. They didn't outright say 'get out of here during the summit' but the condition was that you had to take the trips during specific dates...dates which coincide with the G20 duration.<br />
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Even though it seems like a lot of these measures are specifically targeted at foreigners (try getting into a club nowadays without a Chinese ID card - not gonna happen unless you know a promoter inside), in actual fact, everyone is being inconvenienced in one way or another.<br />
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We've heard stories of specially employed G20 policemen wandering the streets asking locals where the places to eat are now, since the usual restaurants are closed. The guard who refused the let me into the campus through the north gate last night (despite my persistent wheedling) wasn't an ass about it and said that yes, he understood that it was inconvenient but we just had to bear with it until after the G20.<br />
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I've asked my Chinese friends what they and other Chinese people think about the G20 and she said that even though it is a big inconvenience for the locals, they understand that it is only temporary so they are happy to put up with it. Furthermore, the G20 has seen a massive increase in public spending on cleaning up the city and restoring certain parts of it to its former glory. This is definitely something that I can't argue with, especially since the rivers and roads have never looked more clean.<br />
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It's amazing actually how united everyone has been about this. The general consensus among the citizens is that if it affects the government, it will inevitably affect the people so everyone has to pull their weight and make the necessary sacrifices.<br />
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Personally, I don't feel like the changes have really made my time here that much worse. Yes they're inconvenient and at first I was bored brainless but since my friends have come back from their travels, days here haven't been too bad. Plus I'm making plans with people to get out of here during the actual summit so maybe that way we can dodge the worst of the G20 bullet. </div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-69340626219070671492016-05-18T10:13:00.002-07:002016-05-18T10:13:38.914-07:00Water Towns <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJToGeia1EHun8XpoPYG0ZO2Fz2XDt8mKzo8ys27dVV3Czn-2IeocBDOZ_Xhtz7-GKZdzivUpoeT5cH0xWH7S5r3qG126LeMdpj40FrZX0oQyiiEiLDvcb0jGZnXaSF1Qaaa8KZR_2tflc/s1600/IMG_3164v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJToGeia1EHun8XpoPYG0ZO2Fz2XDt8mKzo8ys27dVV3Czn-2IeocBDOZ_Xhtz7-GKZdzivUpoeT5cH0xWH7S5r3qG126LeMdpj40FrZX0oQyiiEiLDvcb0jGZnXaSF1Qaaa8KZR_2tflc/s640/IMG_3164v2.jpg" /></a></div>
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One cannot truly understand the meaning of fickle until they've experienced spring and summer in this part of the world. Although today might reach tops of 30, tomorrow could be 15 degrees and pouring buckets. There's also a saying in Hangzhou that "Spring only lasts for two weeks", meaning that within this short timeframe, you get to experience overall comfortable conditions but once the two weeks are up, y'all gotta brace yourself for constant scorching, face-melting heatwaves.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpd4WRRnNVjAz1SwT0SIiCyhjWj-cS3rJRFq3H0KTjxv7ZyQ-lPo47KmJhRfQbJAXamCpb3I5qsrE0AU7gE_4C2afLc82wOtTCrEbLqZXV3lYWSh7xs6qnyYRHmKzSS7XOP3aEZOcwq4_x/s1600/IMG_3045v2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpd4WRRnNVjAz1SwT0SIiCyhjWj-cS3rJRFq3H0KTjxv7ZyQ-lPo47KmJhRfQbJAXamCpb3I5qsrE0AU7gE_4C2afLc82wOtTCrEbLqZXV3lYWSh7xs6qnyYRHmKzSS7XOP3aEZOcwq4_x/s640/IMG_3045v2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lion's Grove Garden (Suzhou)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I went to Suzhou and Zhouzhuang for a long weekend about 6 weeks back and although this was about midway through spring (which in Australia means pleasantly warm weather) east China obviously didn't get the memo. It rained almost the entire time we were there, as if the universe was saying, "These waiguoren (foreigners) wanted to see water? Alright, let's give them some water".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBuB6jo3JyDzmgtNtUrzu0QUvmhzTkE50WNCtqsOf8Xn6bgE4nMH_bbWDRwYB7k5kRRCpTCs5Omu2lBdPpTJKa5J9TCG5wV9X8qcho3GnGYkcXCLrrQy_P4rWb3hKvhOXcZWBRnldFiSM/s1600/IMG_3048.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBuB6jo3JyDzmgtNtUrzu0QUvmhzTkE50WNCtqsOf8Xn6bgE4nMH_bbWDRwYB7k5kRRCpTCs5Omu2lBdPpTJKa5J9TCG5wV9X8qcho3GnGYkcXCLrrQy_P4rWb3hKvhOXcZWBRnldFiSM/s640/IMG_3048.JPG" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpKhWL2J6xNaNHzH4Zd3e_TC4fSa_vnZhIV0y3JkiVHfjTUEb8TsIHjBjBhwmqsN6UpZ_K3YA0LUJMjsCh_-tBKhb0MMO3H2ZJGbrXYX3lsZ7M8lrt8PcPBAkpUixAYVQMrjG3AJibY8-/s1600/IMG_3054.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpKhWL2J6xNaNHzH4Zd3e_TC4fSa_vnZhIV0y3JkiVHfjTUEb8TsIHjBjBhwmqsN6UpZ_K3YA0LUJMjsCh_-tBKhb0MMO3H2ZJGbrXYX3lsZ7M8lrt8PcPBAkpUixAYVQMrjG3AJibY8-/s640/IMG_3054.JPG" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2G4qfFkGPgZ0ERhkbRS7EMvkLpPsxvm2cewdN6QDGhNawdF6P48G3bes_JWomCz12DTNjHtpab-5qA8TuRSFcJydhzkfvxhuPCACYooiHmrW0ZVD9kq4cbjjhzRLLjRqW9QzRM6soiDC/s1600/IMG_3058.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2G4qfFkGPgZ0ERhkbRS7EMvkLpPsxvm2cewdN6QDGhNawdF6P48G3bes_JWomCz12DTNjHtpab-5qA8TuRSFcJydhzkfvxhuPCACYooiHmrW0ZVD9kq4cbjjhzRLLjRqW9QzRM6soiDC/s640/IMG_3058.JPG" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHenGwDg02ualu73x47Al5ghWG-FGRriheQHFnbRSR4pOClxHwn9Flzzb0DF31uCLMKfEyscCrxewWnB56iuFmunnar67WaQfkurDnMeDdR9JquNLAcbZxIfN0A9c8kd68xB-dih0jM0qY/s1600/IMG_3093.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHenGwDg02ualu73x47Al5ghWG-FGRriheQHFnbRSR4pOClxHwn9Flzzb0DF31uCLMKfEyscCrxewWnB56iuFmunnar67WaQfkurDnMeDdR9JquNLAcbZxIfN0A9c8kd68xB-dih0jM0qY/s640/IMG_3093.JPG" /></a><br />
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But even through the rain, it was easy to see why Suzhou attracts so many tourists all year round. The gardens are stunning and diverse and there are some really impressive bridges throughout the city. At times it felt like I'd stepped into a scene of a Chinese historical drama. There is actually a Chinese proverb which captures the sentiment perfectly:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
"上有天堂,下有蘇杭"Translation: "Paradise in Heaven; Suzhou and Hangzhou on Earth"</blockquote>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzq4PGtT4rj7dTo4-smJTiUh0PLZtikNTEfwzmzx4xz0uDwjuh6vwC6RU4WU9JFKhTmvGcESUc8rtzr4_7bS0INRq_ZfLN4MmnCIkxAusY4KIVko70kc8I1qFOyBwaDAPnNuaR33s8813X/s1600/IMG_3107.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzq4PGtT4rj7dTo4-smJTiUh0PLZtikNTEfwzmzx4xz0uDwjuh6vwC6RU4WU9JFKhTmvGcESUc8rtzr4_7bS0INRq_ZfLN4MmnCIkxAusY4KIVko70kc8I1qFOyBwaDAPnNuaR33s8813X/s640/IMG_3107.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Candid</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARhs7QjpUVQ3dFqfVB9tre_0E0NtI-W2MpOCPvJnVnZJUazddSPTUkE8ZW0irZChhhNEF8cgYgnToc36Lsk74TQX-IugTqfzvqcA2W56fOKD-C-6hEePXXj4zGSMyvnW7XrF7fj5FOuPi/s1600/IMG_3116.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARhs7QjpUVQ3dFqfVB9tre_0E0NtI-W2MpOCPvJnVnZJUazddSPTUkE8ZW0irZChhhNEF8cgYgnToc36Lsk74TQX-IugTqfzvqcA2W56fOKD-C-6hEePXXj4zGSMyvnW7XrF7fj5FOuPi/s640/IMG_3116.JPG" /></a><br />
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I could have done without the constant barrage of umbrellas in my face though. The streets of Zhouzhuang are cramped enough. Add about a bijillion tourists from the long weekend, half as many umbrellas, unceasing downpours, a couple of overzealous tour guides and the constant pervasive stench of stinky tofu (why China why??) and you can see why our enjoyment of Zhouzhuang might have been dampened.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02ADXpOtBWHhIj1MT0bDn8tK2X6XJm0ldXd5y2ta-aAS51QLOhPXZkPwXZW9P893GOoJ_W87TxMbwWQ2w7zKUsStqz9vDoaay54ai64e5IshtHn48sTsxg1Y-8qpyx_wxPRw94JZxwX4U/s1600/IMG_3125.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh02ADXpOtBWHhIj1MT0bDn8tK2X6XJm0ldXd5y2ta-aAS51QLOhPXZkPwXZW9P893GOoJ_W87TxMbwWQ2w7zKUsStqz9vDoaay54ai64e5IshtHn48sTsxg1Y-8qpyx_wxPRw94JZxwX4U/s640/IMG_3125.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Give me EVERYTHING</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzCF2JcYwd4gC9VfFGIe7aNvG90FMMa_9OecIIbm3XGq_qy7v0Akgyjtzo-QoPV2mnndlEGsHvU97Cf9_2NBEfng8J3hNehPYn7K9K_uqVgbLf9py8VUeIhoUah0aTPN1uj0kslUm_TRA/s1600/IMG_3136.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzCF2JcYwd4gC9VfFGIe7aNvG90FMMa_9OecIIbm3XGq_qy7v0Akgyjtzo-QoPV2mnndlEGsHvU97Cf9_2NBEfng8J3hNehPYn7K9K_uqVgbLf9py8VUeIhoUah0aTPN1uj0kslUm_TRA/s640/IMG_3136.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">You've gotta admit - when China sets out to do something, it does it well...and also on an unnecessarily large scale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQQ0JIZ3PSW1jXe5nkSujaO6tDEduH_PYpHZEdNV-glg-DSGlrAFPXN3epANj2F6_xHA1mz1dc3M_HHBvIgC7IgKAuoodyVR_wfiHiEisuA85VmCgablHd-Doqd8MYXiVGq8POYxd-Gvf/s1600/IMG_3069.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQQ0JIZ3PSW1jXe5nkSujaO6tDEduH_PYpHZEdNV-glg-DSGlrAFPXN3epANj2F6_xHA1mz1dc3M_HHBvIgC7IgKAuoodyVR_wfiHiEisuA85VmCgablHd-Doqd8MYXiVGq8POYxd-Gvf/s640/IMG_3069.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">I mean, did you really need to build a bridge that high?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3H6z4f97aqbqut0atq30Pyzj9nBnq3cN0furzTBEekVEN4XVrGo4l8Z4F5gKO1Kx3WPJ84B0xhcHOgpMlmtXoIE_w0jP7iZha0RO2qi4ewYr0OXwUCslQvvNpdREHat09kMdyWaZd1kC/s1600/IMG_3149.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3H6z4f97aqbqut0atq30Pyzj9nBnq3cN0furzTBEekVEN4XVrGo4l8Z4F5gKO1Kx3WPJ84B0xhcHOgpMlmtXoIE_w0jP7iZha0RO2qi4ewYr0OXwUCslQvvNpdREHat09kMdyWaZd1kC/s640/IMG_3149.JPG" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCshaaP_8LMMRSio-7EEquevzj7XG0TAUiwzQhn0Bk8of7iyBC0K5saovH_lk6VaMLw6HoByGq1xumngV93RpCak7HfMhKCJ5ClTF7l1hEyj5r1a_kMSUXZmKR-7o7BfNAGXOvHNXsXr1v/s1600/IMG_3151.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCshaaP_8LMMRSio-7EEquevzj7XG0TAUiwzQhn0Bk8of7iyBC0K5saovH_lk6VaMLw6HoByGq1xumngV93RpCak7HfMhKCJ5ClTF7l1hEyj5r1a_kMSUXZmKR-7o7BfNAGXOvHNXsXr1v/s640/IMG_3151.JPG" /></a><br />
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Nonetheless, I still had a good time. I loved the heritage and elegance that Suzhou had to offer and Zhouzhuang was quaint (if a bit over-commercialized). You can tell that it's a place which thrives off tourism, not that there's anything wrong with that. Company was great as well and that was the most important thing. It's amazing how much bonding time you can get when you spend long periods of time huddled under the one small umbrella. I'll probably come back one day anyway and have another wander through the streets</div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-1545602221676494182016-05-08T01:45:00.001-07:002016-05-08T07:35:37.631-07:00So this is what freedom feels like <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm not sure when it happened but at some point, my life here in Hangzhou became my "real" life and all my memories of Sydney were just that - memories. I've become so comfortable here that most days I don't even think of what's going on at home. And on the occasions that I do, my thoughts don't linger because I am then reminded that there is an end date to this break-from-life and that 10 months from now, reality will come crashing down on me. And it will come crashing down hard.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sneaky paparazzi shots of the crew chilling on the steps outside the international dormitories</td></tr>
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But for now, I love the fact that here, I basically have no responsibilities or duties apart from going to class for four hours a day and completing the assignments that my university back in Sydney sets me. Last year, I had university and work obligations for 42 hours a week, not to mention almost a 2 hour commute every day from my suburb to the city and back. I mean, I enjoyed work but on some days I felt like I was a drone in a Shaun Tan book or something - just going through the motions of day-to-day life and not slowing down enough to enjoy things for what they were.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcpH47c4GBUfwbunAp9sCKk12El0X48uApaPtnOtpGIEo3Lt5keRNyp0UnlTUw6KZiWtAHtvWlDZyYvlTO19nJdeLZYOJ-hKZg6r8gNxEqRRGpycH2PHm8DYSo-KOSfieo8NzQIpetgmA/s1600/IMG_3242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcpH47c4GBUfwbunAp9sCKk12El0X48uApaPtnOtpGIEo3Lt5keRNyp0UnlTUw6KZiWtAHtvWlDZyYvlTO19nJdeLZYOJ-hKZg6r8gNxEqRRGpycH2PHm8DYSo-KOSfieo8NzQIpetgmA/s640/IMG_3242.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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It's different here. The classes are relatively easy (if you don't sleep through them) and they're only for three-four hours a day. This means that I usually finish at 11:30 am on most days, leaving me with the most free time I will ever have in my life. No really, I haven't felt so free since the 3 month break after my HSC back in 2012. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinese grandpas ain't got nothing on me when it comes to Chinese chess</td></tr>
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It might seem like with so much time on my hands, it'll be super easy to get bored and antsy but surprisingly that isn't the case. The perk of living on campus is that there is always something to do or someone to hang out with. We've done everything from playing basketball to Chinese chess, mafia nights, UNO and Cards Against Humanity games, etc.<br />
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And of course, when you're new to a city, there is always something new to explore/instagram/throw money at. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDOp5L7lWJt1GiRJArWOJKD9d8tBynxCNRLLYA-zbY3A0vfERKVxm99DNxosNCnVRSco0DbXq2lJrnMBrFciL9nRDz___IlGnAdgMSVBUmdfOjd4al_cOjFsJ2LlHm5KaWkzPFo-5tYYD/s1600/IMG_3222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDOp5L7lWJt1GiRJArWOJKD9d8tBynxCNRLLYA-zbY3A0vfERKVxm99DNxosNCnVRSco0DbXq2lJrnMBrFciL9nRDz___IlGnAdgMSVBUmdfOjd4al_cOjFsJ2LlHm5KaWkzPFo-5tYYD/s640/IMG_3222.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hangzhou Tourism should hire or start paying me or something. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzgCAkh9WpAf5GXyE9yc63YJRtkQQ60ZTLXM49j7TSSOqMvkDo8nKHv5_HGamZ4bDVNwnNLcnGUKwknyn-1uRtDTeTWa2cwJ1pvJUMOJ0OtvBCpKACHlDmgY9PZ3XgzP_5RijFzbCLtXC/s1600/IMG_3615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzgCAkh9WpAf5GXyE9yc63YJRtkQQ60ZTLXM49j7TSSOqMvkDo8nKHv5_HGamZ4bDVNwnNLcnGUKwknyn-1uRtDTeTWa2cwJ1pvJUMOJ0OtvBCpKACHlDmgY9PZ3XgzP_5RijFzbCLtXC/s640/IMG_3615.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hangzhou is definitely not lacking in cute cafes. This is the one that I'm sitting in right now - it's called XieXie Coffee & Tea and it's situated not too far from the West Lake. Actually, everything in Hangzhou has kind of been built around the lake (the pride and joy of this city) so I guess that doesn't really mean much. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjox3pEWKhMihhe6_edJgCtff5KpfS6WKZmxCIAeDrNNIlQTf4a9xw81bLuf70xTxWbCUz6M1QQs60kNCNgdBLGqIyA4-Pa7ID4h-crGMkHTAK3Nf7Y3Z8JF8FPbHn4DRv_3mECYZyEmWY-/s1600/IMG_3381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjox3pEWKhMihhe6_edJgCtff5KpfS6WKZmxCIAeDrNNIlQTf4a9xw81bLuf70xTxWbCUz6M1QQs60kNCNgdBLGqIyA4-Pa7ID4h-crGMkHTAK3Nf7Y3Z8JF8FPbHn4DRv_3mECYZyEmWY-/s640/IMG_3381.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some cafes, such as Beans Cafe located across from my university, are not the best place to try to do some studying because they come equipped with cute little furry distractions</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbb8CBzv14uBDTWBfg149b8wSQNlVosxcv41cJ0n8rMJc-gh9ysGOTa0ExoR5JEnw1IUpaeMayjtoEkMJ5FQEZqjC-vWItZu17cVQ3WW0WpXRtz-7Wx5kliUymtOONBWZWzg2TOoGgyD_/s1600/IMG_3269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbb8CBzv14uBDTWBfg149b8wSQNlVosxcv41cJ0n8rMJc-gh9ysGOTa0ExoR5JEnw1IUpaeMayjtoEkMJ5FQEZqjC-vWItZu17cVQ3WW0WpXRtz-7Wx5kliUymtOONBWZWzg2TOoGgyD_/s640/IMG_3269.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Zijingang Campus of Zhejiang University. It's not the one I stay or study at but it is actually the main one. Fun Fact: Zijingang is the largest single university campus in Mainland China and consequently, the largest in East Asia. The place is basically it's own city, complete with roads and every single facility you could possibly name. </td></tr>
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This is (half of) class 2.6. We're infamous for constantly losing and gaining new students and half the time, the class is either hungover or zoned out; not to mention, the speaking teacher hates us with a passion. But that doesn't matter because hey, at least we look cute in photos!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credits: Joy eonni, Kay's phone</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCf0OvPYTOKaLF9fT2ADEtsrvB6gVDX5eu7JJ-tRfn__lp4Rrvj56tXyWn8YfwQk-kKaAv7hx_zxyicYe4uBFNAYCDopE-OyuPlm1Bnu-wLktvn8AEmFZOJb0XIQqtIE7sD89YG4yYvXj/s1600/IMG_3352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCf0OvPYTOKaLF9fT2ADEtsrvB6gVDX5eu7JJ-tRfn__lp4Rrvj56tXyWn8YfwQk-kKaAv7hx_zxyicYe4uBFNAYCDopE-OyuPlm1Bnu-wLktvn8AEmFZOJb0XIQqtIE7sD89YG4yYvXj/s640/IMG_3352.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner at the Green Tea Restaurant, one of Hangzhou's more famous places. Their bread and ice cream dessert is to die for.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jmMSVBwjAzyVCcciiEBua_9tcGQJS4STio-fFQXKu6EXA0MvcGn-XdZtvgHZ73Uai2jv9PWNmIVKZ9Xzll1xPofj6eZ0uuPDdSatNdmkuIHWR8b4TJHif1YPfnQqeHd5vMFqoCb_qtdk/s1600/IMG_3234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jmMSVBwjAzyVCcciiEBua_9tcGQJS4STio-fFQXKu6EXA0MvcGn-XdZtvgHZ73Uai2jv9PWNmIVKZ9Xzll1xPofj6eZ0uuPDdSatNdmkuIHWR8b4TJHif1YPfnQqeHd5vMFqoCb_qtdk/s640/IMG_3234.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perks of having a Korean <i>oppa </i>in the same dorm, he is happy to cook for you if you just ask nicely haha</td></tr>
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Cost of living is also ridiculously cheap here. One month's rent on campus equates to approximately AUD $309.78. That feast in the first of the two food pics? It cost about $8.70 (and we ordered more than we needed).<br />
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I rarely feel guilty about going out, catching taxis or eating at restaurants here in China because of how low prices are in comparison to Sydney. Yes, I know that the costs will add up over the year but at the same time, I was prepared for this (hence why I worked so fucking hard last year). So it's not something I'm really stressed about.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuawDj2ICEpOMG5ZIym6AufVcqz4mec1C8_kC9cdhDxjz2g4ztorE8RIFK3ZOoAtVpwqfefvm4cIpSk1aNxGQtpDF5s9nR2kIMugURc8XqQajyKExUYFOUweJKduifM8u24JcFOhVeLRmL/s1600/IMG_3250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuawDj2ICEpOMG5ZIym6AufVcqz4mec1C8_kC9cdhDxjz2g4ztorE8RIFK3ZOoAtVpwqfefvm4cIpSk1aNxGQtpDF5s9nR2kIMugURc8XqQajyKExUYFOUweJKduifM8u24JcFOhVeLRmL/s640/IMG_3250.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Selfie credits: Andrea</td></tr>
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And last but not least (cheese warning), the best part about my life here are the friends I've made from all different parts of the world. Never again in my life will I get the chance to be so immersed in such a culturally diverse setting and so I know that I have to make the most of it. I've met people from Germany, Spain, Peru, South Korea, the US, Sweden, Finland, France, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Italy, even Uzbekistan and I feel like I'm constantly learning more about the world. It's awesome.<br />
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Up next:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Rockin' out and camping at a music festival in China - yeah, you read that correctly</li>
<li>My very very belated post on a weekend in Suzhou and Zhouzhuang</li>
</ul>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-85403917683289011922016-03-27T02:58:00.000-07:002016-04-07T12:07:04.508-07:00Downtown <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="text-align: start;">I went to the moped store, said, "Ni hao!"</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">Salesman's like "What up, what's your budget?"</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">And I'm like "Honestly, if my Mandarin was better I would tell you..."</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">He said "Oh goody, these foreigners make me so much money"</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">Oh it's too real</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">Useless mirrors, I don't need a windshield</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">Black plastic seats, are those yellow wheels??</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="text-align: start;">Two-thousand, two hundred kuai, here's to not getting killed...</span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZPZjQUh-fuXkszxUgZf9J4uty3nv_ZCOKWylfrJEWLlNjrVxaS7LtVWR8oZscqAcGGArvS3Kk6t_qvdm5ayrXclqikRfgFvwNPIQKhmaxUTdjknyKpe7BVl73eyLod7YPOHpIKLDlntr/s1600/IMG_2750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZPZjQUh-fuXkszxUgZf9J4uty3nv_ZCOKWylfrJEWLlNjrVxaS7LtVWR8oZscqAcGGArvS3Kk6t_qvdm5ayrXclqikRfgFvwNPIQKhmaxUTdjknyKpe7BVl73eyLod7YPOHpIKLDlntr/s640/IMG_2750.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>I'm headed downtown, cruising in my lane </i></div>
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<i>Zig-zagging through the streets like a jet plane </i></div>
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<i>No longer need to walk to get some chow mein</i></div>
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<i>Might need a bike umbrella, just in case it rains</i></div>
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<i>Dope, my crew is ill, and all we need is two good wheels</i></div>
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<i>Got electricity in the tank, no more cash in the bank</i></div>
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<i>And a bad little bike in a matte black colour</i></div>
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<i>I'mma ride that, drive that, no more walking, gonna get fat</i></div>
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<i>Parked him in front of the dorms, hope no one steals my batteries</i></div>
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<i>Dope</i></div>
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In all seriousness though, I know how dangerous it can be to ride one of these things, especially in China where traffic rules are more like traffic 'suggestions'. It helps that in Hangzhou, bikes mostly have their own lanes that are separate from the car ones. However, you do still need to be extra careful, especially when turning, as the bike lanes disappear and indicating is a non-existent practice.<br />
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The first time I rode this thing was when I had to get it back from the shop/garage to my dorms. It was a 15 minute ride and perhaps simultaneously the most exhilarating and terrifying thing I've ever done. After that, I spent an entire week building up the courage to take it out again. I spent a couple of nights driving it around the campus (when my chances of running into a pedestrian or another bike were significantly lower) to build up my confidence. I've since taken it out on a Walmart run and a couple of other small errands. Sometime in the next couple of days, I'm going to attempt to drive to the West Lake. Wish me luck! </div>
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<b><u>FAQs</u></b><br />
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<b>1. How do you charge that thing?</b><br />
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The eBike (or moped as I've been calling it in my head) runs on electricity. You can use charging stations around the city to give it power but since there isn't one located near my dorms, I've been taking the batteries out and charging them in my room. When we bought our bikes, the people at the garage spent a bit of time creating handles out of sticky tape to make it easier to carry the batteries. Even so, those things are a bitch to carry in and out of the dorms. It's not a one person job so I've been enlisting the help of my fellow dorm-mates to help me out, haha.<br />
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<b>2. What was your mum's reaction?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Actually not as bad as I thought it would be. I didn't tell her until after I bought it because I thought she was going to try to talk me out of it. I actually didn't even end up telling her directly - she found out through Facebook and then messaged me telling me to be careful. I think her relatively understated reaction was due to 1) the fact that she'd ridden scooters in Vietnam while growing up and 2) an understanding that in China, eBikes are not a sign of rebellion (as motorbikes are in Western countries) but rather vehicles of efficiency and maybe even necessity.<br />
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<b>3. Does it have a name?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Yes. And it is super embarrassing so I'm not going to reveal it here.<br />
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<b>4. Are you going to sell it when you leave?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Yes. Because I will need all the $$$ I can save.<br />
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<b>5. Is it hard riding on the right side of the road?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Not really. As long as you're fully aware of your senses while you're riding it, it's actually not that hard to stick to the right lane. Or should I say wrong lane?<br />
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In saying that, traffic in China tends to be a "free for all" so I've seen people riding in both directions down the lanes. Not exactly the safest practice but I've kind of just filed this into "Things That No Longer Surprise or Faze Me About China".</div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-6860650615146490942016-03-12T02:26:00.002-08:002016-03-12T02:26:41.863-08:00Life at Zhejiang University <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmzn1ZLg-vRdenAW8IXfDVSr9aik5egOKaycybbY3Wv6jBfYjKvyWm8_o2CCAbxOoLZkT8iJaE1XxzjhD1mPts3_nRoDeQrnFlVasrjwFtkKz9RQbAv2ixhZRLDYRAusF2DF0Z_3jkqeY/s1600/unilife+banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEmzn1ZLg-vRdenAW8IXfDVSr9aik5egOKaycybbY3Wv6jBfYjKvyWm8_o2CCAbxOoLZkT8iJaE1XxzjhD1mPts3_nRoDeQrnFlVasrjwFtkKz9RQbAv2ixhZRLDYRAusF2DF0Z_3jkqeY/s640/unilife+banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's surprising how much free time you actually have when class is only four hours a day and your daily "commute" involves rolling out of bed and shuffling into the building next door. On some days, class goes from 8-12 which means you've got to amuse yourself somehow for the rest of the afternoon and night. </div>
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I've been spending my time exploring my campus - and by exploring I mean eating my way through every corner of it. </div>
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This is a HUGE campus and there are at least four large dining halls / cafeterias scattered throughout.</div>
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But like seriously though. This university is bigger than your average suburb in Sydney. </div>
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When we first got here, we were restricted to the dining hall located on the ground floor of our international dormitory building because we didn't have our student cards yet. (Meals at the other cafeterias can only be paid for by student cards, which have pre-loaded funds on them.)</div>
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As much as I like the dining hall located in our building, having oily fried cabbage two times a day for seven days a week is a tad excessive. </div>
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So when we finally got our cards yesterday, it was like our entire world had opened up. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFQTAK2TlUCr_NZaNP5Uv4nLy1Dr_wS20u7IqX9fXfjdbUKNGaW8UTl-ROgrPMT0mQZ_ISUKlwc72HzUX6UJknSav21B3Y7L48waZw8M1qfksrNqFreX0X2Zniv16hJ_c1qDHuvVKZv4g/s1600/IMG_2740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCFQTAK2TlUCr_NZaNP5Uv4nLy1Dr_wS20u7IqX9fXfjdbUKNGaW8UTl-ROgrPMT0mQZ_ISUKlwc72HzUX6UJknSav21B3Y7L48waZw8M1qfksrNqFreX0X2Zniv16hJ_c1qDHuvVKZv4g/s640/IMG_2740.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This, my friends, is your golden ticket to the magical world of the "Zhejiang University Cafeteria-verse"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwilRTuiidi5v7JERaDyaFYxnNwbm51ao-P9yWZg7cqH7O69fSvwsNI_YmOrLphsu8zoVy67u4XWXTuITMrNv3Y2wX26aswV6t-tVa52SZZP47dR1MtLE2iGh7tCBQrep8pgrpgcp1I9_/s1600/IMG_2622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwilRTuiidi5v7JERaDyaFYxnNwbm51ao-P9yWZg7cqH7O69fSvwsNI_YmOrLphsu8zoVy67u4XWXTuITMrNv3Y2wX26aswV6t-tVa52SZZP47dR1MtLE2iGh7tCBQrep8pgrpgcp1I9_/s640/IMG_2622.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsTiDruHWu_Ls3oEnt0-H0phWq2N2PY1BKfDXu4SfuKG_-qTeFDxvAtjpemJoTZ2Ix13WZFGKmAbYggIJK6dbmrhGGhuHLUVEXWnIw0g7-E8SOQ5_ThqPvl8b4wX7xrM00jK6q4wx4VH7/s1600/IMG_2623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsTiDruHWu_Ls3oEnt0-H0phWq2N2PY1BKfDXu4SfuKG_-qTeFDxvAtjpemJoTZ2Ix13WZFGKmAbYggIJK6dbmrhGGhuHLUVEXWnIw0g7-E8SOQ5_ThqPvl8b4wX7xrM00jK6q4wx4VH7/s640/IMG_2623.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumplings for 6 kuai at one of the main cafeterias (less than $1.50 AUD). Hells to the yes. </td></tr>
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There seem to be a huge selection of food at each cafeteria: noodles, dumplings, rice, soups, etc. All you have to do is grab a tray, line up for whatever it is that you want, tap your card and then when you're done, place your tray onto a conveyor belt for cleaning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kwhm-cr-klJejvhO9hR2ftj8LkDIxC7a4YftrUByaUxBd3PO8IluBSGcCIB3sHn31r-re2PloNpzYt2mBTazyxrJFBzGTdJW6PbGBYK4tKsqTT0ITS1gi3xq6CA-1MG3jcrCK_AcSpvt/s1600/IMG_2588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kwhm-cr-klJejvhO9hR2ftj8LkDIxC7a4YftrUByaUxBd3PO8IluBSGcCIB3sHn31r-re2PloNpzYt2mBTazyxrJFBzGTdJW6PbGBYK4tKsqTT0ITS1gi3xq6CA-1MG3jcrCK_AcSpvt/s640/IMG_2588.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnHYtFf3KPcyzpg6g-BH6ELd4WrC6x29ANM29TOZrsclrYp7s14fSFKFuYjgwVsTi0h8G_X2FnpXQhL5bkHBCRopRily9Yp1baRQmCEnNpo8b09sKOFWukJJSet2yaDsqi0QEFqO0NIQe/s1600/IMG_2639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnHYtFf3KPcyzpg6g-BH6ELd4WrC6x29ANM29TOZrsclrYp7s14fSFKFuYjgwVsTi0h8G_X2FnpXQhL5bkHBCRopRily9Yp1baRQmCEnNpo8b09sKOFWukJJSet2yaDsqi0QEFqO0NIQe/s640/IMG_2639.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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When I'm not embarking on my own version of "Cynthia's Zheda Food Safari", I'm either taking a walk around the campus or hanging out at one of the cafes situated on or nearby Zhejiang University (<i>Zheda </i>for short).<br />
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The cafes are super cute and usually come equipped with wifi that is ten times faster than that of the dorm. As a stingy university student, I usually bring all my electronics to the cafe to charge so that I don't have to use up my monthly electricity allowance. #cheapasian #whosgonnastopme<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAzEMuy5f-ZZ3Dh6luVsoveDjnRb6M4PSjLh34NDdNpp3XWxWQi-Nr8Ltmzzlo-FT6D2L1ZiHvvRmJhgg4lsSaHk6NKAlnAQ-qPdjxCvDJPoWEl04Ll2twRuFvWXxc88tl5UW1b5KCduk/s1600/IMG_2284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAzEMuy5f-ZZ3Dh6luVsoveDjnRb6M4PSjLh34NDdNpp3XWxWQi-Nr8Ltmzzlo-FT6D2L1ZiHvvRmJhgg4lsSaHk6NKAlnAQ-qPdjxCvDJPoWEl04Ll2twRuFvWXxc88tl5UW1b5KCduk/s640/IMG_2284.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cafe 1897 - named after the year this university opened. How's that for history?</td></tr>
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I've still yet to figure out how exercise is going to fit into my routine, seeing as the university gym appears to be permanently closed. For the time being, I am doing pilates and cardio circuits in my room (probably much to the annoyance of the student living below me on level 3). <br />
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Random fact that I probably should've known before I came: Zhejiang University has constantly placed among the top 3 of China's universities. If that is not prestigious enough for you, I don't know what is.<br />
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As I've mentioned, class is for four hours a day. There are two subjects per day and these are either: Speaking, Listening, Reading or Grammar. Here is a more thorough breakdown:</div>
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<li><b>Speaking: </b>Why Are All the White People More Fluent Than Me</li>
<li><b>Grammar</b>: This Teacher's Enthusiasm is Really Not Normal</li>
<li><b>Reading: </b>Google Translate and Pleco Are My Best Friends</li>
<li><b>Listening: </b>No. </li>
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So yeah. One week down, 51 more to go! </div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-85271753381485209202016-03-06T01:57:00.000-08:002016-03-06T02:11:02.222-08:00Things That Surprised Me About China <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxtttne2JPgXNTeC-FmgWaT4I3761Gna0SOJCd0u7ioGxwKs5S6BqbVlcCzQjbUe_ev5j5lwe9lIula33VlnePQCiGKB0XMSVw-qqPC3rDiprQoZ87Cv4lFTD0W7L0_haxyi9nVI9l6eK/s1600/banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxtttne2JPgXNTeC-FmgWaT4I3761Gna0SOJCd0u7ioGxwKs5S6BqbVlcCzQjbUe_ev5j5lwe9lIula33VlnePQCiGKB0XMSVw-qqPC3rDiprQoZ87Cv4lFTD0W7L0_haxyi9nVI9l6eK/s640/banner.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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China has really surprised me. Having lived in a western society for the last 21 years, I've only ever been exposed to one perspective of the country and it wasn't until coming here that I've seen another side to it. It doesn't help that despite being ethnically Chinese, my parents have literally never set foot inside the country. I remember asking them if they had any advice for me this year and my mum's amazingly helpful reply was "Don't eat strange meat". When it comes to our great motherland, my parents are not exactly wells of knowledge.<br />
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On that note, let's introduce the topic of today's blog post:<br />
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<b><u>Things That Surprised Me About China </u></b></div>
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<b>(You mean there is more to this place than pollution and politics?)</b></div>
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<b>1. The Bullet Train System</b><br />
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Is fucking amazing. China (or its major cities at least) are super efficient when it comes to infrastructure and transport. On Tuesday, my friends and I took the bullet train to Shanghai. We had no idea what to expect but if the online booking system was anything to judge by, we were bracing ourselves for a nightmare.<br />
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It wasn't. The place, despite being the size of a small airport, was run like clockwork and we had no trouble at all getting our tickets and finding our platform. If anyone's looking to travel from Hangzhou to Shanghai in the future, my tip would be to avoid booking online and just rock up at the station to get them. It is a lot cheaper and there seem to be plenty of spots available. However, you may need to book if you're planning to travel during major holidays.<br />
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Also bring toilet paper with you because these stations only have squat toilets. You're welcome.<br />
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Our train departed from Hangzhou East Station and arrived at Shanghai Hongqiao Station. The metro is attached to the latter so it's super easy to get to your destination in Shanghai from there. Tickets cost 73 kuai one way ($15.87 AUD).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozS08T16QRO2oHC55z-Tl2y8hYX5Z4h1HAJk91BGEb2cV4jCyAtcvBh_QMpmszZ28jvZbSQcxlnBoPv5eb0CSoJI6IXHS3iqLZ9a-KKEC-_t8K5In404_VrVWE-6r7wEO7Yx3eBf9Ld14/s1600/IMG_2306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozS08T16QRO2oHC55z-Tl2y8hYX5Z4h1HAJk91BGEb2cV4jCyAtcvBh_QMpmszZ28jvZbSQcxlnBoPv5eb0CSoJI6IXHS3iqLZ9a-KKEC-_t8K5In404_VrVWE-6r7wEO7Yx3eBf9Ld14/s640/IMG_2306.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If this is the size of the Hangzhou station, you can imagine what the size of the Shanghai one was like.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMaOEZVHGZv7hKcFVIqV5inNtAk7qWGjK0irOgdgot5ADztJStIPEuN1rkqVZ1GuvRLa3E75oDgY1KpblrhVYP0W437JDe3VNVE0DpOBjVVRB2-RMf2gr84DZnc2kTE-Pf2JdHYfgIp-H/s1600/IMG_2313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMaOEZVHGZv7hKcFVIqV5inNtAk7qWGjK0irOgdgot5ADztJStIPEuN1rkqVZ1GuvRLa3E75oDgY1KpblrhVYP0W437JDe3VNVE0DpOBjVVRB2-RMf2gr84DZnc2kTE-Pf2JdHYfgIp-H/s640/IMG_2313.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">No that is not the inside of a plane, but the inside of a bullet train. There is also an actual trolley lady (a la Harry Potter) who walks down the aisle during the trip selling snacks and drinks. It's pretty neat.</span></td></tr>
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2. The pollution is shitty but it's not <i>that</i> shitty</div>
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And if you<b> </b>try hard enough, you can probably convince yourself that it's just a bit of morning mist and nothing an instagram filter can't fix.<br />
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Okay I know that the pollution is there and no amount of joking can detract from what a serious health concern this is for the Chinese. However, I did spend two days walking around Shanghai and despite it being visually noticeable, I could barely smell or feel it in the air. Not many locals were wearing face masks either and that was quite surprising to me.<br />
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Maybe we'd just chosen a good time to visit. But I hope for the sake of everyone's health that that's not the case. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4JAMLp2ZwVSDOIhQhyXEvTsJ_uniPldhtFhVr2oElkn-hrQCz_FQJ9eC1KZhYrwC88j2CGccusYAvndErHOYXBKZU0M5XkzH-ZT6Z_GCYnodTHbInENGF889F1SNdaMGf-e5ID_rGHaT/s1600/IMG_2350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4JAMLp2ZwVSDOIhQhyXEvTsJ_uniPldhtFhVr2oElkn-hrQCz_FQJ9eC1KZhYrwC88j2CGccusYAvndErHOYXBKZU0M5XkzH-ZT6Z_GCYnodTHbInENGF889F1SNdaMGf-e5ID_rGHaT/s640/IMG_2350.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM-mX8W1rYMrhoaC-__BrcadDQ-8LUeIN5gYVo8b96Dmtek_WI7Uvth0V2VTLDNxD-51BEOpf9DrHX7Mx4ULDqKmBgkRTKu-0ttw4UAYYFDxh6lUxkQSn7Fa82aaIXiT7c7K0GdkaRNJ4/s1600/IMG_2333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM-mX8W1rYMrhoaC-__BrcadDQ-8LUeIN5gYVo8b96Dmtek_WI7Uvth0V2VTLDNxD-51BEOpf9DrHX7Mx4ULDqKmBgkRTKu-0ttw4UAYYFDxh6lUxkQSn7Fa82aaIXiT7c7K0GdkaRNJ4/s640/IMG_2333.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>3. There is such as thing as too many dumplings</b></div>
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...Or maybe ordering 28 dumplings and 2 wonton soups between 4 people was not the smartest idea. No wonder the chef did a double take when he saw our order. </div>
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However, after spending an hour wondering around the city looking for this place (Yang's Fried Dumplings), we'd worked up quite an appetite. Funny how hard it is to find places when your Google Maps is blocked by the government and no one can understand your Mandarin. </div>
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<b>Dumpling Pro Tip</b>: unless you want to end up with a lap full of hot soup and a really angry dinner buddy, take care when biting into these things because they're surprisingly juicy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFxE2wPs1ZmILgEwCASZs7kvuAuMDkppjIgbWcIZvlOMWBgRBuSMaXCGoCK80f0TZXm4JXlWjEymM4KXf6bEmpcbS1gtr6YbecZrS-sGhxQaCbMdyUMSWTaKDFKFCxrEiJrpNqvpKHijF/s1600/IMG_2362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFxE2wPs1ZmILgEwCASZs7kvuAuMDkppjIgbWcIZvlOMWBgRBuSMaXCGoCK80f0TZXm4JXlWjEymM4KXf6bEmpcbS1gtr6YbecZrS-sGhxQaCbMdyUMSWTaKDFKFCxrEiJrpNqvpKHijF/s640/IMG_2362.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPk_PsupfEKiVbO3NJdLr7_Wg9VLxomtlwVuhqpX1uulAO3eoizC2AKKw5BkK4H66NTiE3FMYA889ELPOM3L_XnA2Q0QibUaIa_uMMMrG0VEgyqkjqF4nZgcGOfV-nfg8Pik5uO8l7rwF/s1600/IMG_2367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPk_PsupfEKiVbO3NJdLr7_Wg9VLxomtlwVuhqpX1uulAO3eoizC2AKKw5BkK4H66NTiE3FMYA889ELPOM3L_XnA2Q0QibUaIa_uMMMrG0VEgyqkjqF4nZgcGOfV-nfg8Pik5uO8l7rwF/s640/IMG_2367.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>4. The Contrast</b></div>
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And by contrast, I mean that between the old and new, traditional and modern, the fact that there is nothing wrong with opening a Starbucks right next to the serene and stately Huxinting Tea House... </div>
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It's amazing how you can go from seeing massive skyscrapers to stepping into serene gardens in the middle of the city. The place in the above pictures is the Shanghai Old Town and all the architecture there is of the traditional Chinese style. Yes, there are stores selling tea, dumplings and clothing but huge department stores have also set up shop right next to them. I remember walking around Shanghai Old Street, walking into a random shop, taking the elevator down and then finding myself at a McDonalds. It was weird. </div>
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<b>5. Need to boost your Instagram game? Try the Yuyuan Gardens in Shanghai</b></div>
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This isn't exactly a "surprising fact" but to be honest, I just needed an excuse to upload all my photos of the gardens. </div>
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Seriously though, this place is stunning and entry is only 30 yuan ($6.50 AUD). If you need to a take a breather from the cosmopolitan craziness that is Shanghai, this is the place to go. I unleashed my inner Chinese tourist and it was glorious. </div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-13251511772563151592016-03-01T08:18:00.001-08:002016-03-01T08:20:03.071-08:00The China Diaries: So What Have I Gotten Myself Into?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So there's this word in Chinese that's pronounced "zao gao" (糟糕<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; white-space: nowrap;">) </span>and although its translation is something along the lines of "too bad" or "how terrible", most people use it as the Chinese equivalent of "shit" - as in "shit, how did I end up committing to a year-long stay in a foreign country?"<br />
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I've said the word "zao gao" in my head a lot these last few days. Don't get me wrong, the last half week has been equal parts exciting and terrifying (in a good way); my room is great, the university (Zhejiang University, Yuquan Campus) is the size of suburb and Hangzhou has really exceeded all my expectations. It's clean, it's scenic and yet, super convenient and urbanised. I walked into a cafe the other day and thought I'd magically transported myself back to Newtown or something. (The coffee did cost like $7 though so that was a bit of a bummer. I knew China was a tea society but deep down I'd clearly been harboring hope that it was otherwise). I'm also really excited to start class and start trying out my mangled and broken Mandarin on other foreign students.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to ma crib. This is the cleanest you're ever going to see it. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayUcKKTae3MQmRlZ_NzeeS5JxO3-vhDfoN7eQGQS2WRsXIdauPirBWZwoIW01VyFVQWke8ft9WQtZyro_-KxE9bObGnSuay1ToroHl-wvXRYtb6n9wYHkNPjh-DFKf8P595kXTDgY8OeT/s1600/IMG_2262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayUcKKTae3MQmRlZ_NzeeS5JxO3-vhDfoN7eQGQS2WRsXIdauPirBWZwoIW01VyFVQWke8ft9WQtZyro_-KxE9bObGnSuay1ToroHl-wvXRYtb6n9wYHkNPjh-DFKf8P595kXTDgY8OeT/s640/IMG_2262.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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However, nothing has been easy. NOTHING. I've had troubles getting the simplest task done (e.g. asking reception about the uni's postal address) because of the darn language barrier. To be fair, I probably have no one to blame for that but myself - I knew I should've done a bit of revision before I came but me, being the lazy arse that I am, obviously didn't.<br />
<br />
So the theme of this blog post is going to be "Zao Gao!" or in English, "All the Different Ways Cynthia Has Failed in China Within the First Week".<br />
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<b>1. The struggle of looking Chinese but not being able to speak the language (well) - aka Cynthia the Banana</b><br />
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This is probably as frustrating for them as it is for me. I mean, a Chinese girl in China? WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE DOESN'T SPEAK CHINESE LOL?<br />
<br />
But I actually can't. And so this results in firstly, confusion on everyone's part and then frustration which eventually turns to anger. The reception lady at this international dormitory hates me because I can't communicate with her. She barked at me the other day when I was trying to figure out the wi-fi situation and it was probably not something nice. (I wouldn't know for sure though because guess what - I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HER).<br />
<br />
I mean, I am trying and if I come across something I don't know, I take note of it for future reference. But if it's not in my vocabulary, it's not in my vocabulary. With the written language, I can try to translate it on my phone but with spoken, it's obviously not as easy. <br />
<br />
So I've had trouble with ordering at restaurants, figuring out the rules and processes for my dorms (including laundry, wifi, electricity, etc.), going to places, asking for directions, living, surviving, getting basic shit done, etc.<br />
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Funny story but today in my Chinese placement test, the examiner asked me to write down my Chinese name and so I did and handed the paper back to her. She took one look at it, gave an exasperated sigh, grabbed a pen and then corrected the characters for me. <br />
<br />
So yeah, apparently I can't even write my name correctly. I am obviously off to a great start.<br />
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<b>2. The universe does not want me to get a sim card</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
We first tried at the little phone shop across from our dorms. The place looked a little bit shifty and the lady said that our cards wouldn't be activated until Monday, so we left. We then took a walk around Hangzhou looking for other phone shops, went into a hotel where we asked for directions and were told that actually yes, if we got sims, they probably wouldn't work until Monday.<br />
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Alright cool. As a foreigner with limited Chinese who's just arrived in a giant unfamiliar city, why would you even need a working sim, right?<br />
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So around comes Monday and our next attempt brings us to Hangzhou's fancy shopping district. After taking a taxi there, we were told that the closest phone shop was a 20-30 minute walk away. We were also told that there would be no point getting sims on that day because it was the last day of the billing period and we would just be wasting our time.<br />
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On Tuesday, we think, "fuck it, let's just go to phone shop on our campus (even though it's not with the provider we'd like) and try to set SOMETHING up". We get there and the lady at the counter goes "My computer is broken today so I can't give you sim cards. Come back another day".<br />
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I'm sure that at this point, there's a certain humour to be found in the situation but to be honest, I really just wanted to punch the universe in the face.<br />
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Anyway we eventually got sim cards at a shop south of our university and it's all sorted now but man, was that an experience I do not want to repeat.<br />
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<b>3. Getting through the Great Firewall</b><br />
<br />
...is not an easy task, let me tell you. Let's just say that even if you've got a VPN (I went with ExpressVPN), it may not be entirely reliable. Even now, I'm unable to use it on my phone in conjunction with my university's wi-fi. <br />
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So if I've Facebook messaged you several times in the last few days with something along the lines of "TESTING. ARE YOU GETTING THIS MESSAGE??", my apologies. And if I haven't, then clearly my VPN is not doing its job.<br />
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<b>4. To spend or not to spend??</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
You know you're a poor university student when you spend three hours sitting in the dark because you've only got a set amount of electricity per month and you're not willing to spend more on anything extra.<br />
<br />
Okay yes, I do have the money and I'm not exactly struggling but hey, every yuan counts and if I had to choose between spending money on food or spending money on electricity, I'm not too proud to admit I'd go with the former. There's also the minor fact that I will not be working for the ENTIRE year so it's not like my funds will be replenished somehow.<br />
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In saying that, food and living expenses are relatively cheap in China. My rent is only about $326 AUD/month. That is ridiculously low by Sydney standards. However, clothes, phone plans and coffee and hella expensive. And considering I only packed like five outfits, this may prove to be a problem. How long do you think I can get away with wearing the same jumper before everyone notices?<br />
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<b>******</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
In conclusion, China is cool and I'm having fun. In saying that, if I can get through this month without ending up homeless, lost or penniless, I believe I would be quite satisfied.<br />
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-38394955271928457392015-12-26T18:21:00.000-08:002015-12-27T03:44:32.067-08:00A Year In Review: What I Learnt in 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2j-Lh_goZqVQmnFvcAAsniyT_-3nZLtE-snuCLaEHWAh3k3jy-lZnqqzejrdNwMzzSRE2uFCYcJ86_nHzZpqePwAheTHSQNulvsdZiR1fzO-uJtdznFfjIyrKNlN4l20JoHL-VyBX636/s1600/a+year+in+review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2j-Lh_goZqVQmnFvcAAsniyT_-3nZLtE-snuCLaEHWAh3k3jy-lZnqqzejrdNwMzzSRE2uFCYcJ86_nHzZpqePwAheTHSQNulvsdZiR1fzO-uJtdznFfjIyrKNlN4l20JoHL-VyBX636/s640/a+year+in+review.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Hello, it's me.<br />
<br />
I've been trying to write this post since early December but have struggled so hard to put into words what I want to say.<br />
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Basically, 2015 was a weird year for me.<br />
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It was weird in the sense that I felt like I was in limbo the entire time, neither moving forwards towards a definable goal nor slipping backwards into the withdrawn anti-social high-school version of myself. Oftentimes, I'd feel like I was watching myself from a distance - going to work, attending events, interacting with people - just going the motions of Being Cynthia. But it just felt weird and off and forced and I can't explain it.<br />
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I keep telling people it was because I started the year off on such a high with the Thailand trip. (Side note: ATYAP was amazing but it needs to come with a warning label informing people of the apathy towards life that it makes you feel post-trip). And it is mostly true. In Thailand, I felt alive and I felt driven. Then I came back and it was like someone had told me "Jokes, you're actually a Muggle!" after I'd spent an entire year at Hogwarts.<br />
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But the weirdness might've also been due to 2015 being a bit of a letdown after the amazing year I'd had in 2014. Last year, I'd tried so many new things and met so many new people - it'd kind of overshadowed a whole bunch of unpleasant thoughts about my future and its woeful lack of direction. This year made me confront this fact again. And it was...not great.<br />
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It wasn't all bad though. I spent most of the year working and even though it meant I had less time to do the things I wanted to do, I did get the chance to work in one of the greatest and friendliest teams in my job at The Co-op.<br />
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I also went to Tasmania for the first time and saw one of my cousins get married, went on BSS camp, took a trip down to Melbourne and had one of the best 21sts anyone could wish for. I am grateful and lucky and I really should learn to appreciate this year more.<br />
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So to recap, what are some of the main things I've taken away from 2015?<br />
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<b>1. Be grateful for the people in your life now</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Because new people will come into your life and others will drift away and that's normal. Of course, you should make an effort to stay in touch with people but with some, it can be an effort in futility and you'll end up exhausting no-one but yourself. So make the most of now and don't take it too personally later on if you don't hang out as much. Plus with the best of them, it doesn't matter if you bump into them again two or six years from now - you'll still catch up like no time has passed.<br />
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<b>2. Don't compare yourself to others</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Because comparison leads to discontent and unhappiness. Hence why Facebook makes everyone feel depressed.<br />
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<b>3. If you're going to do it, do it well</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I should really follow my own advice, especially this one. As I said, this year for me was all about being apathetic; apathetic in my assignments, apathetic in bigger projects I'm undertaking (not that there were many). I realise I need to try harder and become more invested. It's not enough to just turn up and expect that that's half the work done - you really need to invest some effort and think of the bigger picture.<br />
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<b>4. Accept that life is all about the ups and downs</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Just because this year was a bit anti-climactic doesn't mean it's set a precedent for coming years (I'm only 21 for god's sake - why am I sounding so jaded??). I'll be travelling next year and studying overseas. Maybe that's why I've been in limbo? Because I know that life will be bigger, better and more colourful next year.Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-37294878314718741762015-11-09T00:41:00.001-08:002015-11-09T00:41:57.126-08:00A Tasmanian Wedding <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I like Tasmania. It's quiet, but in a quaint and refreshing sort of way (not the soul-draining, desolate emptiness that is the Canberra wasteland. Seriously though, the only redeeming quality about that place is the $2.50 alcohol - which you'd need if you were to live in the ACT). I recently went down to Hobart for my cousin's wedding and despite the constant sense of dread that accompanied me on the trip (a by-product of having <b>every single assessment </b>due the following week), I had a pretty great time. Would definitely recommend for anyone who's looking for a short, picturesque getaway but is too poor to go to New Zealand (i.e. me).</div>
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I went down with my cousins, their partners and my uncle and aunt. We spent about three days there and I think it was more than enough time to really see Hobart. I would like to go back down again though to do some hiking. Apparently there is a place called Wineglass Bay which gets its name from the blood that used to stain the sand from whaling operations. Unfortunate name but hey, I hear it's stunning (plus they haven't killed any whales since the 1850s so it's all cool).<br />
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The highlight of the trip (apart from the actual wedding) was definitely The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA). I love museums. I love art galleries. And I love strange things (and I know my cousins do too). So we had to go. A bit of trivia - courtesy of Professor Wikipedia - MONA is the the largest privately funded museum in Australia and has been described as a "subversive adult Disneyland". Tian said that the first collections evolved around death and sex but it has since expanded to include other things.<br />
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After paying the entrance fee (be prepared to fork out $20 AUD - it <i>is </i>a private museum after all), you descend down a seeming endless flight of spiral stairs - or maybe that's just my lack of fitness speaking up - till you get to the very bottom. After collecting a headset and iPhone-like gadget thing, you basically work your way back up through the different levels of the museum.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, those were live fish. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsle-3-C_Rs6IuFKYzmcy0cAnkyJ9L1_3U2TcFcv3yI8bkmz24wKLya_pw6q5qG1RK4fVLhOaw5Q1Zugz-yAZQXW8zps_MaXpK30N2ZUTFN_JAh9olrIHnjD5eDp3tgd2A2km6nLJA57E/s1600/IMG_0157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsle-3-C_Rs6IuFKYzmcy0cAnkyJ9L1_3U2TcFcv3yI8bkmz24wKLya_pw6q5qG1RK4fVLhOaw5Q1Zugz-yAZQXW8zps_MaXpK30N2ZUTFN_JAh9olrIHnjD5eDp3tgd2A2km6nLJA57E/s640/IMG_0157.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytmkRETF3JSFsy4c4FHOpVB6zOWLFpV5a57NXGQ6DWSrG25P1GaVB5sH7fJe9L8rgWIuFrswUkWn00EKqNBFzLZH2B6GnXx4dgge1_aeG6_R8noBQuTnFX2uHXnPHYkYwmYMS5M6pXz2M/s1600/IMG_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytmkRETF3JSFsy4c4FHOpVB6zOWLFpV5a57NXGQ6DWSrG25P1GaVB5sH7fJe9L8rgWIuFrswUkWn00EKqNBFzLZH2B6GnXx4dgge1_aeG6_R8noBQuTnFX2uHXnPHYkYwmYMS5M6pXz2M/s640/IMG_0153.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The outside of the museum's just as quirky as the inside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ06Xf1wk8WXz0iOENIeFex1KXQUelLief-hF64EfuthlAjtcz6VfnFGsv428Ren8KaOLkG4VOo_NGCl8kjm9hi3zE_FTJUIBXanqeIBXdRgRfKhuHfdGraqw-R8-WfuDtDAaEKGXiEHST/s1600/IMG_0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ06Xf1wk8WXz0iOENIeFex1KXQUelLief-hF64EfuthlAjtcz6VfnFGsv428Ren8KaOLkG4VOo_NGCl8kjm9hi3zE_FTJUIBXanqeIBXdRgRfKhuHfdGraqw-R8-WfuDtDAaEKGXiEHST/s640/IMG_0154.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasmania in a nutshell</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlOEHof0wdbMBZuz4NHif_By5Zy2hCpYfG97ULwiiR6egDLhx29RaQcGWYJRIzY3bIXxivBWWhrer7d0MpSwb2JYmua52f2pIov5aOwCXScK5zusEfm0h1gMh6eVAbcbHivaUPg74D1PN/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlOEHof0wdbMBZuz4NHif_By5Zy2hCpYfG97ULwiiR6egDLhx29RaQcGWYJRIzY3bIXxivBWWhrer7d0MpSwb2JYmua52f2pIov5aOwCXScK5zusEfm0h1gMh6eVAbcbHivaUPg74D1PN/s640/IMG_0148.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And oh, there's a peacock too, because why not?</td></tr>
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Day 2 was the day of the wedding. We didn't have to be anywhere till the afternoon though so we spent the morning hanging out at the Saturday Salamanca Markets. I like looking at all the weird things they sell at markets but at the end of the day, the only thing I end up spending money on is food. And it wasn't any different here. Funnily enough, we also bumped into some other guests of the wedding here. Hey, I did say Tasmania was small.<br />
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We then got back to the hotel and started getting ready for the wedding.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPZSG-NVfSEcszghidd1EugE-w795dueJsmfoD0ex9IpUsAl911hDX0Wtd6eNJjGBqtH9FhnTsdQ1CtLxY32CnXD2V3l7wnQClpObhCXHtkIpOpqaaXDupUoOq2Uf7p6t3_20Yei8rAmP/s1600/IMG_0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPZSG-NVfSEcszghidd1EugE-w795dueJsmfoD0ex9IpUsAl911hDX0Wtd6eNJjGBqtH9FhnTsdQ1CtLxY32CnXD2V3l7wnQClpObhCXHtkIpOpqaaXDupUoOq2Uf7p6t3_20Yei8rAmP/s640/IMG_0223.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's Tian and I, looking all sexified and stuff</td></tr>
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So after using all my battery power taking artsy fartsy vineyard photos (btw that's my cousin up there and she's single fyi), I had no juice left for the actual wedding. Which was probably a blessing in disguise because it meant I got to enjoy the ceremony without any distractions. Actually no, that's a lie because it was windy as hell and my eyelashes were falling off my face and I was slowly but surely freezing to death in my dress and also in danger of getting quagmired as my heels sunk into the ground.<br />
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But everything aside, it really was a beautiful ceremony. Congratulations Shi-Nan and Damian! May you grow old and happy together and have freakishly intelligent kids who will give my own children (once I get around to having them) inferiority complexes; my cousin's a doctor and Damian's an accountant.<br />
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Afterwards, there was food, dancing and champagne. Side note: my Uncle is the most enthusiastic dancer ever. He practically murdered that dance floor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkHIwy28mShZomkrw7cJ6x2OYtI-5p1AQUBsA-k2BpPD_ou87NyP203_GXPRkmtXMg8NYsVDLPcP2HIq2DiBWUCUfbxJjlOtz-wuu0H-zEy8X_uNmr_cKYSaMFYIXEmWbSNOr7Di1qlJS/s1600/IMG_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkHIwy28mShZomkrw7cJ6x2OYtI-5p1AQUBsA-k2BpPD_ou87NyP203_GXPRkmtXMg8NYsVDLPcP2HIq2DiBWUCUfbxJjlOtz-wuu0H-zEy8X_uNmr_cKYSaMFYIXEmWbSNOr7Di1qlJS/s640/IMG_0318.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The phone was briefly revived to take a photo of this glorious dessert</td></tr>
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The next morning, we and the rest of the extended family gathered in the Botanical Gardens to have a post-wedding picnic. Woo! Nature! Green things! Hayfever!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha54dLKYH-tQ9gUe-PXLhP9SUnvrda8Vil_AhvMVM3kWwOkNuLS1mCBLysCvAnqqB9ntOBZpAWsfEmLsnWh4otJAybWSp7KI-oC_tqzsf6hCCOkogNoepGXEL8TS9tq2PcM6BBJ3NlZ4Hx/s1600/IMG_0341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha54dLKYH-tQ9gUe-PXLhP9SUnvrda8Vil_AhvMVM3kWwOkNuLS1mCBLysCvAnqqB9ntOBZpAWsfEmLsnWh4otJAybWSp7KI-oC_tqzsf6hCCOkogNoepGXEL8TS9tq2PcM6BBJ3NlZ4Hx/s640/IMG_0341.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5al_cZQr_G-mQS_qOkPPAAnmNUjDVN_mVMOGpcOEOJSFARZ0IOge886zNkMn8EBf_iMas0JK7t3h_5IrAc-3dtAfeVsH0O0R3xPBGUAqnLpIT3DQrT__TiZlI0o8WRvRu5PpumDNYoyTz/s1600/RHKM3887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5al_cZQr_G-mQS_qOkPPAAnmNUjDVN_mVMOGpcOEOJSFARZ0IOge886zNkMn8EBf_iMas0JK7t3h_5IrAc-3dtAfeVsH0O0R3xPBGUAqnLpIT3DQrT__TiZlI0o8WRvRu5PpumDNYoyTz/s640/RHKM3887.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wzxm_JvZY5SYgSH4X9v0bqLiZs3WeqfESk3UcOwjHmh0ElLEbb4T_A7o_JqJBgRpvLZdLajp2akx0LK3w4gnCeXOMCpz2slhS5Y2Q7kn5QM3shEYJ-vZDXMqvkfoexUoKCH891ON6NOI/s1600/IMG_0352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wzxm_JvZY5SYgSH4X9v0bqLiZs3WeqfESk3UcOwjHmh0ElLEbb4T_A7o_JqJBgRpvLZdLajp2akx0LK3w4gnCeXOMCpz2slhS5Y2Q7kn5QM3shEYJ-vZDXMqvkfoexUoKCH891ON6NOI/s640/IMG_0352.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teehee</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ72od5gpe7gFauBqVwONhkRCWaDyPc41Lsu799nIDZ0l_W13r0d2WLxGPJWIgcU8XCs-jKQEmin9sVdD4g7hHXL8LubU1ymXMiC4UhIX5pUYHtfQcOIPJxr6owUVglFUPR0IBK6iezrHr/s1600/IMG_0402_v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ72od5gpe7gFauBqVwONhkRCWaDyPc41Lsu799nIDZ0l_W13r0d2WLxGPJWIgcU8XCs-jKQEmin9sVdD4g7hHXL8LubU1ymXMiC4UhIX5pUYHtfQcOIPJxr6owUVglFUPR0IBK6iezrHr/s640/IMG_0402_v2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was a nice way to end the trip and again, congratulate Shi-Nan and Damian on their new life together. </div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-39740358195459968792015-10-18T02:15:00.001-07:002015-10-18T02:15:42.432-07:0021 and OnwardsSo a couple of things have happened since I last posted (oh about a month ago or something). I turned 21 and realised a couple of things:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>No magical age fairy visits you on your 21st to bestow upon you any new skills or wisdom</li>
<li>I am still terribly inept at "adult-ing"</li>
<li>And the only reason a 21st needs to be celebrated here in Australia is so that people pay for your drinks the entire night...which is enough reason, really. </li>
</ul>
You'll be glad to know that it didn't rain on the day of the party though. The weather gods probably read my last post and were so impressed by my A+ use of the Martin Freeman gif that they decided to cut me some slack. Here are some pictures to prove that the BBQ didn't turn into a sandy sludge-fest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskF_LXasPWw0CkW39ZubOtRdwv8lv7ImVGUZ0KrdVYdvg5kbuj5RuHRm-sltCcTu2TOU8sIvomMqDpusOtVqb-MZwmda5TwIvkJk4doL65ZL5S50hGtCXuNkqTYBwNlc-_2Tz1WbleMv3/s1600/peeps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskF_LXasPWw0CkW39ZubOtRdwv8lv7ImVGUZ0KrdVYdvg5kbuj5RuHRm-sltCcTu2TOU8sIvomMqDpusOtVqb-MZwmda5TwIvkJk4doL65ZL5S50hGtCXuNkqTYBwNlc-_2Tz1WbleMv3/s640/peeps.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoG2PSZr6EyqfpSGxqexDwxlfkFl23vwJegOQXo3Vrs77Nca9_3nJd_UN4SHYR_UVhy-t4WzmGBkOqWKtT0JT8_d2wzKtUEmFh6xlf74tSkY_5_cN7M7pwo5-m_pdbOpNcJWh1eg3TD2t/s1600/20150919_133407v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoG2PSZr6EyqfpSGxqexDwxlfkFl23vwJegOQXo3Vrs77Nca9_3nJd_UN4SHYR_UVhy-t4WzmGBkOqWKtT0JT8_d2wzKtUEmFh6xlf74tSkY_5_cN7M7pwo5-m_pdbOpNcJWh1eg3TD2t/s640/20150919_133407v2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nancy in this makes it my favourite photo</td></tr>
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In all seriousness though, that was probably one of the best days of my year, despite all the stress that happened in its lead-up. I have to admit that I was worried about how everyone would get along, considering I'd invited people from all different social groups but I'd clearly underestimated the social bonding potential that is beach volleyball and BBQ food.<br />
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I also celebrated on the actual day of my birthday by going to high tea with my cousin. By the way guys, high tea is fucking amazing. I was a bit sceptical before I went, thinking that tiny cakes would do nothing for my appetite but the one I went to at the QVB Tearoom was really generous with their sandwiches and pastries.<br />
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I also spent a couple of days in Canberra for a Mock United Nations conference where I talked about cross-border sex trafficking on behalf of Nepal. Now that was a huge learning experience. I don't really have the energy to go into the specifics of that weekend and all the stuff I got up to but I will say that it was an intense couple of days (emotionally and physically). There was also a particular talk on refugees that I went to that had a lasting impact on me but I feel like that experience deserves its own blog post. </div>
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Again, please have some photos to compensate for my lack of recounting. </div>
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Canberra itself is uh...nice. It's small and there isn't terribly much to do but it's...nice.<br />
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I've also been working very hard to procrastinate as much as is possible without crossing the line into actually failing my assessments. It's that time of the semester where I've a got a million and one things due and the willpower to do absolute none of them. So I've been to the beach, had catch-up dinners with friends, done some other uni things, spent some fun nights out and watched unhealthy amounts of YouTube in these last few weeks. Not that that's necessarily a change in routine for me though.<br />
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Anyway, so that's what I've been up to these last couple of weeks when I'm not at the daily grind. There's been some other stuff going on in my life but I think that's better saved for actual face-to-face conversation. So hit me up if y'all free. I'm always up for anything that doesn't involve writing essays or studying for my next language exam.<br />
<br />Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-41939291514370956072015-09-12T00:16:00.002-07:002015-09-12T00:16:45.666-07:00Raining on my ParadeThere is too much stress involved in planning your own birthday party. Especially when it's your 21st. And it's at a beach. And the weather forecast looks something like this:<br />
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Hey at least it's not thunderstorming right? Well my friend just sent me this:<br />
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How about no. <br />
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If I was ever to do some sun worshipping, this would be the time. I would take up yoga if I had to (despite being grossly inflexible) and if it meant the temperature would go up by even a couple of degrees, I would begin offering up human hearts to Huitzilopochtli.<br />
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Have you ever tried to have a beach bbq in not-so-great weather? I have - and it's not fun. No one wants to go in the water, y'all try to huddle up like penguins under the shelter (if there is any) and there somehow ends up being about 5 litres of sand in your food.<br />
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Speaking of food, I haven't yet figured out what I'll be offering. Meat would probably be a good start, especially since it's - I dunno - a beach bbq. Then I should probably have healthy green things...and carbs (because I'm Asian and food isn't food unless it's got carbs).<br />
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But back to the weather. Because everything's fucked if the weather sucks. And the universe is laughing at me because we have had amazing weather this past week with highs of 24 and 25 degrees. It's like they're tempting me with what could be before taking it away and making me watch as they crush all my hopes and dreams under their cruel, cruel, feet. <i>It's totally going to be sunny and warm- LOL JK HAVE SOME THUNDER BOOM CLAP. </i><br />
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I'd also feel terrible if I had to move the date because that would obviously screw up people's plans. I mean, I personally hate it when I've reserved the date for something but the plans end up falling through. Not to mention that I've taken two days off work next week to organise my shit. But if it rains, I might have to postpone. Sigh.<br />
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Cheer up Cynthia. There are more important things to worry about in life.<br />
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<br />Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-42064587647365108272015-08-26T06:21:00.001-07:002015-08-26T06:21:53.156-07:00Odds & Ends #6<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Roses are red, violets are blue, I've neglected my blog, but that's nothing new...</b></div>
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I would blame it on my social life...but that would be a lie. Mostly, I've just been spending way too many hours of my life at work or at university...studying. Wait no, that's a lie as well. Honestly, I've been so tired lately that I've just taken to sitting passively in lectures hoping to absorb content from my mere presence alone - like some sort of weird plant cell undergoing educational osmosis. </div>
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<b>1. Roses are red, violets are blue, I went on camp and forgot my shampoo</b><br />
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And pyjama pants...and hairbrush...and snacks... and basically everything that I'd reminded myself to bring.<br />
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But in exchange I found mafia buddies, fellow arsonists and nature explorers. So it wasn't too bad of a trade-off. <br />
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<b>2. Roses are red, violets are blue, check out this fucking amazing Californian dance crew</b><br />
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If you had to watch one YouTube video today, and only one, you might as well make it this one. Hell, if you had to watch one YouTube video <i>this month</i>, I would still recommend this one. It is so chockablock full of talent and passion that it is guaranteed to make you feel incompetent and unfulfilled in life.<br />
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It's the winning performance from one of the most prestigious dance competitions in the world. What makes it amazing is that it's not merely dance, but also storytelling, innovation and theatricality. Also, it's set to the remixed version of Matt Corby's "Brother". So therefore it can't possibly suck.<br />
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<b>3. Roses are red, violets are blue, your procrastination potential seriously just grew</b><br />
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Because I figured out how to get WhatsApp on your computer. And it takes like 10 seconds to set up. All you have to do is go to<span style="color: red;"> <a href="https://web.whatsapp.com/"><span style="color: red;">this link </span></a></span>, open up the app on your phone, scan a QR code and BAM, you have just learnt how to be even less focused in class than you were before.<br />
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<b>4. Roses are red, violets are blue, guess what I managed to push myself through? </b><br />
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That's right - the City2Surf. And believe it or not, I actually managed to have fun while doing it. I mean, considering how I only had one training session beforehand (and by training sess, I mean Jacinta and I went for a walk in the park), I'm surprised by how much of it I actually ran.<br />
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Afterwards, I went down to the beach to join the rest of the UTS team at our marquee for free food and massages. Everyone ended up just chilling there for a couple of hours and it was probably the most accomplished I'd felt in a long time. Then Monday happened and I realised that everything hurt and I couldn't move. <br />
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<b>5. Roses are red, violets are blue, guess whose opal card finally came through? </b><br />
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And it is the bomb diggity. No longer do us UTS students have to feel inferior in this aspect to UNSW and USYD students. We have opal cards! The University of Technology Sydney finally has access to the contactless ticketing system that everyone else had been using since last year. Good stuff.<br />
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<b>6. Roses are red, violets are blue, Ex Machina deserves every positive review</b><br />
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It's about a robot called Ava who has artificial intelligence. A young programmer named Caleb is tasked with testing her out and he does this by observing and interacting with her. I don't want to say anymore so just watch the trailer:<br />
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I have difficulty faulting anything about this movie. The acting was spot on (especially from Alicia Vikander, the actress who plays the robot) and it is without a doubt one of the more visually stunning films I've seen this year. I also like a movie with twists, and this certainly had that.<br />
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<b>6. Roses are red, violets are blue, there are always people more talented than you</b>.<br />
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Yeah I know, I've been watching a lot of dance videos lately. I'm not sure why. Call it my latest YouTube fetish but I just can't seem to stop.<br />
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Anyway this video is great and the choreographer, Lia Kim, is a goddess so you should watch it.<br />
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<b>7. Roses are red, violets are blue, $3 coffee at UTS? Woohoo!</b><br />
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And it's actually good coffee as well. Check out the new cafe in Building 7 and you'll be able to track down this $3 coffee. It's still a bit of a hidden secret but I popped in yesterday and a line was already starting to form at 8:45am. My suggestion? Get in there quick if you want to beat all the other coffee-deprived communication students.Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-28226645964080710132015-07-21T19:52:00.001-07:002015-07-21T20:00:04.620-07:00A Little Taste of Melbourne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In light of all the Facebook photos of university students gallivanting across Europe on Contiki tours (Hi Mik) and/or trekking it out across South-East Asia, this post might fall a little short in terms of the Grand Mid-Year Adventure. Unless you count an expanding waistline from all the Melbourne cafe food, I can't claim to have grown very much as a person. But then again, that wasn't the point of the trip was it? We flew down to Melbourne purely for the food and shopping - and that we certainly accomplished. Just ask my very cleared-out, newly empty, sad-looking wallet.<br />
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We left on a Wednesday morning and got to our hotel on Southbank at about midday. We spent most of the afternoon and evening wondering around the city just taking in the sights. It didn't seem to have changed much since I'd last been there....except for that colossal, two-storey H&M building on Elizabeth Street which took up an entire block.<br />
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As much as Melbourne is your typical Australian city, there is a totally different vibe from Sydney that you can only feel when walking around the streets. For one thing, the layout of the city is a lot more compact (you'll know what I mean if you've ever looked at a map of Melbourne). For another, the street art, tram lines and little alleyways practically scream HIPSTER TOWN. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. After spending four days on a steady diet of Melbourne brunches and coffee, I can see why people rave about the restaurants here. And trams. Oh, how I love trams. Free Melbourne trams 4 lyf. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waffles with rhubarb jam from the Victorian Night Markets</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Eureka Skydeck</td></tr>
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On our <b>second day</b> in Melbourne, we met up with our high school friend, Annie, for brunch on Chapel Street. The cafe was called <i>Journeyman</i> and as Nancy cleverly punned in her instagram post, it was totally worth the journey man. I mean, look at this:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charred greens with poached eggs and chorizo</td></tr>
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We headed to Harbour Town at Docklands for a bit of shopping and I took this artsy fartsy photo of the ferris wheel. We then trammed it back to the city for more shopping. The tram driver was a cute little man who spoke Mandarin to us #ForeverAChineseTourist<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manchester Press Cafe - we almost wrote this place off. Turns out it's one of the more popular cafes in Melbourne</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perks of Being Asian #1: You can take these types of photos in public and no one bats an eye</td></tr>
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We rested a bit at the hotel before heading out for <i>another </i>shopping trip at Melbourne Central. Then we walked to the Crown and lost $10 to gambling.<br />
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On our <b>third day</b>, we took a break from the city and joined a 1-day tour of the Great Ocean Road. It was good to be back in nature away from all sorts of material temptations. Nature doesn't max your credit card out, thank god.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Twelve Apostles! Or as I like to call them, the Three & A Half Apostles</td></tr>
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As you can see, it was a bit of a gloomy day. It felt like the rain clouds were chasing us everywhere we went. Sometimes, we would get a spot of sunshine (just enough to get out of the bus and walk to the photo location) but this was then quickly followed by drizzles and then a downpouring of rain.</div>
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I also lost my beanie whilst trying to take a photo in front of the Twelve Apostles. It landed somewhere on the other side of the fence dividing the path from the cliff and kind of just sat forlornly in the grass, waiting to be blown off the side. </div>
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Surprisingly, my favourite location on this tour wasn't the Twelve Apostles but the hidden little cove/beach that came afterwards. Loch Ard Gorge is what the place was called and it looked like a pirate's secret hangout. None of my photos do it justice so you'll just have to trust Google to <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=loch+ard+gorge&safe=off&rlz=1C1RNVF_enAU568AU568&es_sm=122&biw=1366&bih=623&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMI-7zIldvtxgIVARymCh0OhwBP"><span style="color: red;">show you</span></a> what you want. <br />
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We got back to the city at around 9pm and had <i>Huxtaburger </i>for dinner.<br />
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<b>Day Four</b> was spent, once again, in the city. We started off with brunch at Operator25 before embarking on a little bit of a cultural education tour. Also, it figures that only on our last day of the trip does the sun decide to come out and bless us with her presence.<br />
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Not much seems to have changed since the<span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://ablibberinghumdinger.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/art-galleries.html"><span style="color: red;">last time I came to the National Gallery of Victoria</span></a></span>.<br />
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We then went for lunch in Chinatown (dumplings - fuck yeah) before having a bit of a poke around the State Library of Victoria. I suppose that was the last real "touristy" thing we did in the city.<br />
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We then headed back to the airport as it was getting dark and our flight was at 8 pm. Flew back with relatively little drama and got back at around 11 pm at night. <br />
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So that was my Melbourne trip in a series of half-hearted descriptions and gloriously embarrassing photos. Hope you enjoyed!<br />
<br />Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-10720973616666958352015-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:002015-07-04T00:01:21.755-07:00Core Memories Part II went to see the new Pixar movie, <i>Inside Out</i>, with a bunch of friends last Tuesday and afterwards, while D&M-ing over Harbourside kebabs, we got into a discussion about our very own "core memories".<br />
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For those who haven't seen the movie, core memories are described in the film as memories which have a significant influence on the shaping of one's personality. They're kind of like the lightbulb moments of a person's life - the key drivers of Riley's primary traits and values in <i>Inside Out</i>. I love that the movie was able to physically depict these aspects of a person's mental processes, and in a way that made so much more sense than my entire two years of senior high school English study combined. How many hours did I spend during the HSC trying to explain (in needlessly convoluted paragraphs) how <i>relationships and experiences shape and individual's sense of belonging </i>when I could have just said "<b>Obviously we've all got personality islands which are powered by glowing memory balls</b>". <i>Bam. </i>Band 6 right there.<i> Would you like me to draw you a diagram as well, Board of Studies?</i> </div>
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Anyhow, back to the original topic at hand - after the movie, I spent the train ride home with nothing better to do than to mull over my own core memories. Which resulted in this very word vomit-y post. </div>
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<b>Core Memory 1: Friendship & Family Island</b></div>
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As cheesy as it sounds (and it sounds suuuuper cheesy...like <i>Dominos Triple Cheese</i> cheesy), I think everyone has, to some extent, some sort of Family or Friendship island. I know there are people out there who haven't had the financial/emotional support that I've received from my family and in those cases, their friends have acted as the base in life. And there's nothing wrong with that. </div>
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Trying to narrow it down to a specific memory is a little bit harder, but I think I managed to sum it up perfectly in <a href="http://awaywardwego.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/childhood.html"><span style="color: red;">that post on childhood</span> </a>from a while back.<br />
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I grew up surrounded by these weirdos. We rode bikes together, built blanket tents together, suffered through head lice and chickenpox together (illness was something of a package deal with us six, much to the consternation of our parents). Sometimes we made each other cry but then held grudges that lasted all of 0.5 days so it was fine. I think we take each other for granted but then again, what do you expect when you've known someone for 16-20 years? We can't get away from each other even if we wanted to. </div>
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As for Family, well they put up with me and all my shit so they win all the things. </div>
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<b>Core Memory 2: Books & Knowledge </b></div>
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I might not look like it now (or maybe I do, who knows) but I used to be a massive nerd/bookworm. I devour books the same way Bruce Bogtrotter devours chocolate cake in <i>Matilda</i>. Dad used to take me to Whitlam library every second Friday afternoon to borrow books and I would come out of there with six or seven books every time. So I basically read three or four books a week throughout my primary and high school years.<br />
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I had a really awesome librarian at my first primary school who I would say was another one of the people who set me on the path to a love of all things literature. As a class, we used to have to do those weekly library sessions where you go in with your handmade tote bag and personalised bookmark to borrow whatever was on the approved list of children's literature. During one of these sessions, the school librarian sat us all down to convince us to read some of the books from the Book of the Year shortlist. She brought out a book called <i>Dragonkeeper </i>by Australian author Carole Wilkinson and was in the middle of explaining what it was about when I - being the young Hermione Granger that I was back then - put my hand up to say that I'd already read it.<br />
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Yes, I was an extremely obnoxious child.<br />
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Anyway, the librarian (I've since forgotten her name) kind of studied me for a little bit and then went back to her explanation. Afterwards, when all the other kids were running around fighting over <i>Saddle Club</i> books, she took me aside and asked me what my name was. I thought I was in trouble for interrupting her but instead, she led me to the library's back room and showed me her shelf of novels which still hadn't been laminated. These were the books which had either come in very recently from the publisher and were still awaiting teacher's approval, or were deemed too controversial for younger audiences. She picked one off the shelf, gave it to me and told me to tell her what I thought of it the following week. And then she did the same the week after, and the week after that. So that was how I graduated from Andy Griffith's <i>Just Disgusting </i>books to a steady diet of challenging, thought-provoking novels as recommended by my primary school librarian.<br />
<br />
Thanks to her, I read everything from epic fantasy stories to old time classics. I was introduced to themes of friendship, oppression and conflict and I became addicted to stories. Everything she made me read was amazing and my 10-year-old self couldn't get enough.<br />
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I wish I could say I held on to these high standards throughout the years but then <i>Twilight </i>happened in 2005 and <i>let's not talk about that. </i><br />
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<b><i>To Be Continued....</i></b></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-41780874264518817972015-06-17T22:14:00.003-07:002015-06-19T18:47:21.060-07:00The Appeal of Giant Colourful Balls (Or Lack Thereof)It's been about two weeks since I started my mid-year uni break and this is what I've accomplished thus far:<br />
<ul>
<li>Working</li>
<li>Eating food</li>
<li>Sleeping</li>
</ul>
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In conclusion, for me, there is not much difference between life during the semester and life post-semester - except for maybe less of a social life (most people I know are in seclusion because of that phenomenon known as "final exams"). I only ever had 10 contact hours a week for uni during Autumn semester so it's not like wrapping up my studies made much of a difference to my schedule. I'm probably at work three times as long as I'm at uni and in the last four weeks, I've worked 120 hours. It probably seems like I've made a ton of cash but we all know that's going towards keeping myself alive next year in China (a feat which I've yet to figure out how to do).<br />
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In saying that, I haven't just spent the last two weeks alternating between home seclusion and honing my grovelling skills at work - something I'm sure will come in handy in my future career as a PR practitioner. I submitted to peer pressure and became one of the 1.43 million people to shuffle across Sydney in zero degree weather in search of mediocre light installations. </div>
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I even went twice, because why put yourself through the torture once when you can do it twice?? I don't know, I just don't really get the whole <i>Vivid </i>hype. Sure some of the projections are quite pretty but essentially, that's just what they are - projections - beams of light passing through a frame of translucent film. And people (me included) flock like pigeons to gape at these beams of light.<br />
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Maybe it'll be more fun as a couple thing. Maybe it's due to my deep-rooted and misanthropic singledom that Sydney's biggest light festival holds no appeal. Perhaps giant colourful balls only work for you if they're the glorious backdrop of your selfie with your bae.<br />
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I'm not saying that I went by myself though. The first time was with the uni crew and we got told off for sitting/climbing on things and the second time was with Tian. But she's my cousin. And it rained. And glorious selfies aren't exactly our thing...<br />
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Anyway, in an attempt to prevent this from becoming a supremely cynical post, let's end off with a list of things that <i>are</i>...my thing.<br />
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Such as food.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDNVjdAbtLWkT-2Ek1aXGDrxGChBkiTN-hnS39eSpyNhJ0SISIZiwtmxfINF9puTiT7jCOikndSrtQV-dhdQXclRkhyphenhyphenTKvkGfBbOcC8FXhnARu6CIQ6QeC4mvv-9FC3HYhr1JEQxN-3Lh/s1600/20150612_091311%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDNVjdAbtLWkT-2Ek1aXGDrxGChBkiTN-hnS39eSpyNhJ0SISIZiwtmxfINF9puTiT7jCOikndSrtQV-dhdQXclRkhyphenhyphenTKvkGfBbOcC8FXhnARu6CIQ6QeC4mvv-9FC3HYhr1JEQxN-3Lh/s640/20150612_091311%25280%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More specifically brunch at Reuben Hills (in Surry Hills). This is where I finally figured out what the heck jamon was. </td></tr>
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And nonsensical doodling:</div>
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<strike>Singing Italian Men</strike> Eurovision:<br />
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<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article10270386.ece/alternates/w620/IL-VOLO-ITALY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article10270386.ece/alternates/w620/IL-VOLO-ITALY.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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And my cousin's perpetually perturbed baby pug.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTaQr5OLDIe2jjs_Z4qWc5tY2pEjTziuAI5HaluQDy1R4EsnPQvY80LHI_iGG_TqLrAdn72tw-jJajTe3V2fju_u5NFF1FdPPN7FSYsXbQM4pTNej15ivLiRyR68iKoqjf_zIcMNj-V8V/s1600/20150608_113345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTaQr5OLDIe2jjs_Z4qWc5tY2pEjTziuAI5HaluQDy1R4EsnPQvY80LHI_iGG_TqLrAdn72tw-jJajTe3V2fju_u5NFF1FdPPN7FSYsXbQM4pTNej15ivLiRyR68iKoqjf_zIcMNj-V8V/s640/20150608_113345.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-33662106243031727152015-06-05T20:37:00.001-07:002015-06-05T20:41:20.016-07:00Exchange in China: The Honest Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<b>Disclaimer</b>: I don't usually put disclaimers on my posts but I feel like this post addresses issues of high cultural sensitivity so I will do so just in case I actually end up offending anyone. My views can be uninformed and ignorant and for that I have only one person to blame. My dad. </div>
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No really, conversations with Mr. L at the dinner table usually end up with me fighting the urge to stab the racism out of him with my chopsticks. </div>
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Anyway - on to the actual post:</div>
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<b><u>Exchange in China: The Honest Edition</u></b> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7i5BwqvyFdKTDP_mvqUO-nunTjdtPzPm8IOomnbZMw2eq_gGk7D3aVVG8wo7q1j1iB8fQb3orU7bi_N_A0JJhiTmHG0czwYOz8x0VU9LwKazVkkv22NuSIVqrf6ttq4yggrRA3bpr52_/s1600/Hangzhou.original.4539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7i5BwqvyFdKTDP_mvqUO-nunTjdtPzPm8IOomnbZMw2eq_gGk7D3aVVG8wo7q1j1iB8fQb3orU7bi_N_A0JJhiTmHG0czwYOz8x0VU9LwKazVkkv22NuSIVqrf6ttq4yggrRA3bpr52_/s640/Hangzhou.original.4539.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>This is a good photo. So clearly I didn't take it.</i><br />
(<a href="http://www.thousandwonders.net/Hangzhou">Source</a>)</div>
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It's a conversation I've had a million times and it usually goes something like this:</div>
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<b><u>Version 1</u></b></div>
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<b>Them</b>: So what are you studying?</div>
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<b>Me</b>: It's a combined degree - Public Relations and International Studies.</div>
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<b>Them</b>: Oh cool! So does that mean you go on exchange?</div>
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<b>Me</b>: Yeah, I'll be studying overseas in 2016.</div>
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<b>Them</b>: Which country?</div>
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<b>Me</b>: I'm learning mandarin at the moment so I'll be going to China. </div>
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<b>Them</b>: Wow! You'll have <i>so </i>much fun over there. It's going to be an <i>amazing </i>experience. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Me</b>: Yeah, I can't wait. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Them</b>: Yeah, China.....that's- that's so cool. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Me</b>: Yeah. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Them</b>: .... </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Me</b>: .... </div>
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<b><u>Version 2</u></b></div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<b>Them</b>: So what are you studying?<br />
<b>Me</b>: I do a combined degree - Public Relations and International Studies.<br />
<b>Them</b>: Oh cool! So does that mean you go on exchange?<br />
<b>Me</b>: Yeah, I'll be studying overseas in 2016.<br />
<b>Them</b>: Which country?<br />
<b>Me</b>: I'm learning mandarin at the moment so I'll be going to China.<br />
<b>Them</b>: ...<br />
<b>Me</b>:....<br />
<b>Them</b>:...um, but aren't you Chinese?<br />
<b>Me</b>: Yep.<br />
<b>Them</b>:.....then why the fuck are you going to China?<br />
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At least with the second version they don't beat around the bush, am I right?<br />
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Ever since I've been at university, I've had this conversation (or at least some sort of variation of it) and it's become a personal amusement of mine to hear what people have to say after the "I'm going on exchange to China" bit. The polite ones like to focus on the experience, saying things like, "<i>You're going to learn so much over there</i>" or "<i>You'll meet so many different people</i>" whilst the straightforward people kind of just blurt out "<i>Why China(??)</i>".<br />
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And it's a fair enough question - don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to call people out for being rude or whatever because - to be a hundred per cent honest with you - in the past, I probably would've asked the exact same thing. Exchange, by it's very definition, is about trying out something new. It's about swapping cultures, lives and experiences. The idea of a Chinese person, who's grown up surrounded by elements of Chinese culture, going to live in China for the "experience" <i>is </i>kind of redundant.<br />
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If I was to unpack it even further and delve into the political subtext of it all, I might go so far as to say that in Australia, China doesn't have the best of reputations. It's sad, it's extremely narrow-minded of us and unfortunately, it's all too prevalent. Australian discourse of China falls into two main camps:<br />
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1. The discourse of growth and economic expansion<br />
2. The discourse of human rights abuses and pollution<br />
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Australian media. My future career. <br />
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When people think of exchange or In-Country Study, they tend to think of gallivanting across Europe, backpacking through South America or crazy, wild US college dormitory parties (I blame you Hollywood). I guess people just don't know what to think when it comes to living at and attending a Chinese university. And that's why we struggle so much in the conversation (or resort to inane remarks like "<i>omg think of all the dim-sims you're going to eat</i>!").<br />
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I would be lying if I said it didn't used to make me feel a little bit frustrated. And unfortunately, part of that frustration also came from my own personal prejudices. But it has been three years since I started having these conversations and reflecting on why our perceptions of the world's most populous country are shaped in this way. And to me, exchange has become something of an opportunity - to see for myself what China is really like - so that I can come back a more informed and open-minded person.<br />
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Plus, me going on exchange to China is not at all redundant. Like many first generation Asian-Australians, my ties to my country of origin are tenuous and shallow at best (sad but so true). I do celebrate Chinese New Year but at the moment, it's got very little to do with honoring deities and ancestors and lot to do with collecting red envelopes. My entire life has been a journey of failing spectacularly at being Chinese - just ask my mum. I mean, I chose to study Communications for god's sake!<br />
<br />Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-78464010026307298852015-05-21T21:30:00.000-07:002015-05-21T21:35:57.833-07:00Brain Fodder<div>
Brain fodder - as in food for your brain. But not necessarily the healthy low-carb, multi-grain stuff. I've tried to be a consumer of wholesome, quality content but the Cynthia brain has trouble digesting large quantities of BBC News and Seriously Deep Films - especially when I've got tons of responsibilities to procrastinate from. Nevertheless, I've tried to include a good mix of content for your own procrastinating pleasure / intellectual "stimulation". Whoops. That sounded a lot more suggestive than it meant to be. Note to self: don't put the word stimulation inside quotation marks unless I'm writing about an entirely different topic. </div>
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<b><u>BRAIN FODDER: Things That Entertained Me Or Made Me Think Recently</u></b></div>
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<b><u>1. This Creative Little Website</u></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhri7Ogty6P8V13n0o2pZGxTHwTpKkNfT1zyfuHKb-yv-D7fFJycjIs3f-I5hrzGEiHyY2qOBV_TeQdF9_A0Ov5J5suMOsd5X5BkMAqUqD-8uyCO1m5Npy1lLX-skoeIVftObEpZfrwhoA4/s1600/fff3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhri7Ogty6P8V13n0o2pZGxTHwTpKkNfT1zyfuHKb-yv-D7fFJycjIs3f-I5hrzGEiHyY2qOBV_TeQdF9_A0Ov5J5suMOsd5X5BkMAqUqD-8uyCO1m5Npy1lLX-skoeIVftObEpZfrwhoA4/s640/fff3.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>SITE</b>: <a href="http://fff.cmiscm.com/#!/main"><span style="color: red;">Form Follows Function</span></a></div>
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Which, quite honestly, has no immediately identifiable function but is also the coolest interactive web project I've ever seen. On the home screen, you pick a "card" from the many options available and it will bring up its own little unique design/interactive experience. No two cards are the same. Example: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOg7XUUaJDKV-wuXKTk5Mz2kKrzynJFTAAzBIMMX61G7RbTfAkiRiATQeScfUjtYMJobCmo586IoxLxnNtu9p3JRalHwPPzM6h8FGZlgTtneQZGPlPIx20Oo-Op6oVmn6cb2MEsQzT26Ul/s1600/fff.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOg7XUUaJDKV-wuXKTk5Mz2kKrzynJFTAAzBIMMX61G7RbTfAkiRiATQeScfUjtYMJobCmo586IoxLxnNtu9p3JRalHwPPzM6h8FGZlgTtneQZGPlPIx20Oo-Op6oVmn6cb2MEsQzT26Ul/s640/fff.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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There's no explanation for the randomness of each scenario, hence the name: Form Follows Function.</div>
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<b><u>2. This Exquisitely Shot YouTube Video</u></b></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z7yqtW4Isec" width="560"></iframe> <b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Title</b>: Watchtower of Turkey</div>
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<b>By</b>: Leonardo Dalessandri</div>
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Came across it while scrolling through the comments on a JacksGap video. It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen on YouTube and I can't believe it's only got 380,000 views. Watch the entire 3 minutes of it and tell me that doesn't inspire you to travel to Turkey. </div>
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<b><u>3. These Griping and Thought-Provoking Books</u></b><br />
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<b>Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma</b><br />
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<b>What It's About: </b><br />
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Incest (hence the title). It's definitely not an easy topic to write about, considering the automatic revulsion with which even the very word conjures up, but against all odds, Tabitha Suzuma has actually managed to craft one of the most unique and beautifully written novels I've come across this year.<br />
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Seventeen year old Lochan and sixteen year old Maya are more like friends than siblings who have had to spend their entire lives holding their dysfunctional family together. These circumstances have brought them closer than the average sister and brother. Yup. I'm not going to say anymore. You read it for yourself and tell me what you think.<br />
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<b>Nominated for the Carnegie Medal in Young Adult Literature </b>(but I don't think it's should be categorised as "Young Adult" at all)<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7600924-forbidden?from_search=true&search_version=service"><span style="color: red;">Goodreads link</span></a><br />
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<a href="https://slatebreakers.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/storyteller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://slatebreakers.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/storyteller.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<b>The Storyteller - Antonia Michaelis</b><br />
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<b>What It's About:</b><br />
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Originally published in German, <i>The Storyteller</i> is a lovely interweaving of fairy tale and stark reality. Anna meets Abel, a troubled boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He has a little six-year-old sister who he's been caring for on his own and who he often tells beautiful fairy tales to. Anna overhears one of these stories and starts to become curious about the different side to this withdrawn, rumoured drug dealer at her school.<br />
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I went into this book expecting something totally different and was totally surprised (and a little bit horrified) by the direction the story sometimes took. But that's why I would recommend it to people - you won't be expecting any of it. Plus, it's wonderfully written.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11284898-the-storyteller?from_search=true&search_version=service"><span style="color: red;">Goodreads Link </span></a> </span><br />
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<u><b>4.</b> <b>This Korean Film About a Werewolf Boy</b></u><br />
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<a href="http://951465021.r.lightningbase-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/post/a-werewolf-boy-craze-hits-south-korea-and-its-not-for-twilight/a-werewolf-boy-song-joong-ki-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://951465021.r.lightningbase-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/post/a-werewolf-boy-craze-hits-south-korea-and-its-not-for-twilight/a-werewolf-boy-song-joong-ki-2.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Title: </b>A Werewolf Boy</div>
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Official Selection at the Toronto, Vancouver, Hawaii & Busan International Film Festivals</div>
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A family move into a house in the Korean countryside and find a wild, unkempt boy hiding in their backyard. He doesn't speak, he eats like a starving dog and has inhuman strength. What in the world could he <i>be</i>??</div>
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Okay, predictability aside, this movie was actually shot, acted and produced really beautifully. It's not a cheesy Korean re-make of Twilight - far from it. The plot centers on this family "adopting" a strange, wild boy and their attempts to combat the community's growing interest in him. Each and every scene is shot with a lot of thought in mind even though the story is simple, there is a strong emotional undercurrent underlying all the character's actions. </div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7469180451149044429.post-82813231360584394492015-05-01T22:09:00.000-07:002015-05-01T22:09:36.226-07:00Odds & Ends #5You know what I've missed? Lazy days - days such as today when I can wake up with the knowledge that I have absolutely nothing planned for the rest of the morning, afternoon and night. My mind tricks itself into thinking that I've got plenty of time to get everything done and as such I find myself waking up at 11am, finishing 'breakfast' at 1, spending a couple of hours on YouTube, doing odd tasks that I normally would've ignored (e.g. cleaning and blogging) and making mental lists of the things I want to accomplish by the end of the day.<br />
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So basically I trick myself into thinking that time is an infinite resource and in reality, never actually get around to completing anything of importance.<br />
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But the illusion of freedom is nice all the same.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij24_wKv1WXi_xWqFah_gLmm82jeYV9VPlejLq7YyC8KY3WFRyyR-0r8bx-nm7aUTXwVbEfj92yx7sC5OsBf7y5FICZtG3wsd2yn7WoLBzSjMzLetEBqND6nOvsA1Tyf0GCkpAsv0Hq2mq/s1600/20150424_164200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij24_wKv1WXi_xWqFah_gLmm82jeYV9VPlejLq7YyC8KY3WFRyyR-0r8bx-nm7aUTXwVbEfj92yx7sC5OsBf7y5FICZtG3wsd2yn7WoLBzSjMzLetEBqND6nOvsA1Tyf0GCkpAsv0Hq2mq/s1600/20150424_164200.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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I've been spending a lot of time either working or hanging out with people so I haven't had many lazy days to myself. But I've got no cause for complaint. Work is rewarding, the team are one of the most supportive and hilarious group of individuals I've ever met and well, the view's not too shabby either (see exhibit A above)... plus we get free pastries and drinks on Fridays. <br />
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I honestly hadn't realised how miserable tutoring had made me until I actually quit. Okay, judging from my constant iteration of, "<i>Tutoring is killing my LIFE</i>" to literally everyone I came in contact with, I had a pretty good idea. But it wasn't until I really left the place for good, set aside all those disgusting folders on <i>Persuasive Writing </i>and <i>Areas of Study, </i>that it really hit me that I would never have to deal with unpaid lesson preparations and belligerent parents <b>ever again</b>. The freedom was bloody intoxicating. I felt like Andy Dufresne at the end of <i>The Shawshank Redemption</i>, emerging from a sewer pipe of restrictive work hours and unreasonable expectations, ready to take my place in normal society.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yAu1pr1qFQDflYjFjRE1o26Cm4E5Kr8s0RySTQ-TFIWPrGCq2CaJwKJF5yqgAgfc11zL7DRNSOliiQIihgN0EpWDbVAJ_8h4o0mrvfID70tvpXm7qAO8wlD0-IvZP8sQ_lgXmqXjR8BI/s1600/jbWom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yAu1pr1qFQDflYjFjRE1o26Cm4E5Kr8s0RySTQ-TFIWPrGCq2CaJwKJF5yqgAgfc11zL7DRNSOliiQIihgN0EpWDbVAJ_8h4o0mrvfID70tvpXm7qAO8wlD0-IvZP8sQ_lgXmqXjR8BI/s1600/jbWom.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's to being able to watch this scene without having to draw parallels to Belonging, Discovery or Journey ever again.<br />
(<a href="http://screenplayhowto.com/beat-sheet/shawshank-redemption/">Source</a>)</td></tr>
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So yes, I am more than glad to say goodbye to that chapter of my life.<br />
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Apart from work, I've been making an effort to spend time with the people who are important to me, as well as some cool, new people I've met. Last Thursday night, Punchy, Aastha, Shane, Rochelle and I went to see Les Miserables at the Capitol.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The adorable Punchy getting her 'Vive La Revolution' on</td></tr>
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It was amazing and I would give my left kidney to see it again.<br />
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Just kidding - my left kidney's not worth the $130 it cost to get a ticket on the balcony. But I would gladly pay that sum again if it meant being able to experience the intensity and out-of-this-world talent that is <i>Les Mis</i> on stage. Simon Gleeson was fan-fucking-tastic as Jean Valjean, the set design and use of space and effects rivaled even that of <i>Wicked </i>and just every aspect of it blew my mind. And I've seen a lot of musicals. So if there's anyone out there who's unsure whether the cost is worth the entry ticket, I would say to them: Hells Yes. You will not regret it. And if you do, I give you permission to punch me in the face. That's how confident I am. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdT_koxwvOQnXN8B6wz8R2toXdjrSwqws3pFHk5q0EOZomtWC_Nid5ax9G0O520GdzmQNtq4Qvjbv-so1q3IPp77PeenRd9JRIL7FrkMDMek3xS6GzcCBppW98Nqrkd3juhkr9IlYo7952/s1600/20150425_204643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdT_koxwvOQnXN8B6wz8R2toXdjrSwqws3pFHk5q0EOZomtWC_Nid5ax9G0O520GdzmQNtq4Qvjbv-so1q3IPp77PeenRd9JRIL7FrkMDMek3xS6GzcCBppW98Nqrkd3juhkr9IlYo7952/s1600/20150425_204643.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also went and caught <i>The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron</i> with some other uni mates. The movie was good but I think I had more fun during the other aspects of the outing. For one, we ate at Pappa Rich afterwards and I freaking love me some <i>nasi lemak</i>. We had $3 left from our meal and after debating whether we should hand it over as a tip, we made our way over to Central Park hoping to grab something hilariously tacky from <i>Daiso</i>. <i>Daiso </i>was closed so we went into Woollies with 5 minutes to spare and came out with a tub of Bulla Vanilla ice-cream. How's that for good use of 3 bucks?<br />
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We ended up camping out in the UTS tower building with our tub of ice cream, to the consternation of the nighttime security guards (this was around 10-11pm on a Saturday night). One of our friends, Yujun, taught us a Korean drinking name game and we played that with our "shots" being ice cream scoops instead of alcohol. We hit up a karaoke joint afterwards so I ended up having to take the NightRide bus home at 2am in the morning but it was worth it.<br />
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I might wrap up this post here because as usual, I'm only blogging to procrastinate. Oh, but speaking of procrastination, I recently got my marks back for an essay worth 40%. I remember putting it off and having to complete it last minute at a friend's house so wasn't harbouring any hopes for a good result.<br />
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I got a HD for it. Who says procrastination doesn't pay off?<br />
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Anyway, a final thing. My friend Kay and I recently made a video covering Drake's <i>Hold On, We're Going Home</i>. Here's the video if y'all wanna check out Kay's amazing voice and my embarrassingly intense concentration face. We'd be very much obliged ;)Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13407332278584354883noreply@blogger.com2