can't sleeep

Couldn't sleep properly last night; due to a combination of factors..

1) Seriously overate last night during the CU social at Red Hot. Chinese-Thai-Italian-Indian fusion buffet. Soooo good!! I was so high! :) Haven't had hot off the wok stir-fry since I got here. Ahhh.. and excellent desserts! Cost me 15pounds though.. Hao gui ah!

2) Damn fire alarm went off for at least half an hour non-stop at 3am. I didn't want to get out of bed so I spent the whole time with my fingers in my ears. -_-"

3) Thinking of the multitude of things I have to do today b4 I leave tmr morning. Worrywart!

And so here I am, at 8am in the morning when the sky is still surprisingly dark.
It feels so surreal- Yesterday during lunch Fifi and I were talking about it; how it feels so unreal even being right here in Nottingham. And in a few days time, Europe beckons. :) It's hard to believe that I've been here for 3 months- it seems like it has been such a short time; I still remember so clearly my farewell departure at Changi Airport, landing at Heathrow and taking that bus down to the University of Nottingham where life started anew. Touring the beautiful University Park campus for the first time and saying "Lovely!" or "So nice!" at least 20 times. Being enthralled by the splendid display of nature right before my eyes- squirrels! swans, geese, sucks by the lake! gently swaying willow trees outside my room. The vastness of The Downs. Breathing in the crisp, fresh air and thinking of how Mummy would have loved to be there too. All the fu li zi! Haha.. Exploring little pockets of beauty- the gardens dotted all around the campus. Thanking God every morning for allowing me to be here. Reading a Psalm every morning..

A new whole chapter of my life has begun and it's steadily gaining momentum. People have left and are leaving, some for good and whom I may never see again. Bare rooms all around. SQ was recounting his memories with me a few hours before he left- taking a taxi down to Notts from the airport for the first time, The Downs, people... 1 term has just flown by, so much to do, so little time. Surreal. Paradoxical- In some ways I feel like I've barely arrived- Some things, like speaking in the British accent, finding my way about town are still alien to me. And yet in other ways, I feel like I've settled into a comfortable routine that has been part of my life all this while- Classes, a firm group of friends in hall, trusting in a God who never leaves me nor forsakes me.

And tomorrow morning I leave Nottingham for Sussex and Paris. It's mind-blowing. Hannah was telling me the things we'll do at her place- baking, shopping, going for a carol service, decorating a real christmas tree, going for short trips around the region... Another set of new experiences. Then it's Paris! Aidan stays really near the Versailles Palace! ^^ Then London; meeting up with Grace Chong, from Dunman High and VJ and maybe JiaChuan. Nice to see familiar faces again. :)

Thankful.


-Carol