This is the 2nd chapter of the "Wini's Survival Guide" series to life in residence, haha. Okay, just thought it was interesting to document and keep these photos, and wanted to come up with something light-hearted and easily readable. Heh.
For the sake of Luyi who keeps saying my residence has very good facilities, I shall write this post specially for her, since she's also the only other person whom I've ever known who's equally domestic as me - in fact, she's even better - sometimes she wakes up and suddenly feels the motivation to scrub the whole house from top to bottom! Haha.
So for a start, let me introduce the laundry room in AVM:
I'd say the machines here are much better than those public coin laundromats I've tried in the US.. they even have an ironing area (albeit a very lousy iron) at the side. Anyway, these work on a cash-card system so there's no need to save my quarters and coins for laundry - Evi would understand!
To future employers of Maria: I can cook, I can wash, I can iron.. (see! I look so happy even doing my chores!)
But life as we know isn't smooth-sailing and we don't always have all the time in the world - sometimes the machines take VERY LONG before your laundry gets done (and you still have to transfer the load to the dryer thereafter), so here's what Wini suggests you do while you wait:
Hit the gym! Or better known as the fitness room over here, cos well, it really just consists of 1 treadmill, 1 cross-trainer, 2 bicycles, some exercise mats and a gym ball! Rah.. but albeit minimal, I think it suffices for my stay here.
Treadmill 101: Run and look like a pro - but doesn't mean wearing an iPod armband and patella brace will definitely make you look like you're endorsing an advertisement (like me) k! Haha. Oh anyway, the running pic was NOT posed. Seriously I was made to run at my normal speed before the shot was taken!
Okay, this is getting too much but I just wanted to show the equipment they have. By the way, some random guy whom I bumped into just now said I look like a cheerleader in my running singlet and shorts! A comment that's both weird and amusing, haha.
So well, the point here is to make the best use of your time while waiting for laundry - you can achieve so much in the 1.5 hours! And at the end of the day, here's a fitter you with cleaner clothes - and check out my personal clothes line in my room! Quite cool eh.. haha.
P/S: Luyi, I'm sure you'll agree with what I say about saving time and gymming while washing clothes right? Hahaha.
Random-ness
This is a cute cereal - I think it's deliberately made to sound like Honey Nut uh-ohs! Haha.
Alrightey, it's 1.30am here and maybe that's why I'm getting slightly crappy. Nevertheless, on a more serious note, I've been doing quite well in Small Business Management, i.e. interacting with classmates, finding groupmates, and even delivered a well-received individual elevator pitch today!
I introduced a business idea of incorporating a food delivery service here on-campus (which Prof thought was well-considered, researched and presented in a good lively manner). He's also asking me for input to incorporate international perspectives into the course, so as to facilitate class discussions! In fact, he says he'll be screening something on Singapore in a couple of weeks' time, and that makes me excited and proud to be Singaporean somehow, haha. :)
I ate a fortune cookie 2 days ago. It read, "Your present plans are going to succeed within the year."
Having eaten so many fortune cookies on the previous US trip, I know most of them are really goofy and not even fortunes at all. Still, Vicki did ask what my plans were and what that fortune entailed, and it brought me back to my goals for exchange.
My closest friends know what's been on my mind the past week - fretting that my 4 months' stay is not sufficient and too cold to travel and explore, hoping that I can be more at ease with my spending and lifestyle, finding the perfect balance between personal time and socializing.. it all ties in together really, which resulted in why I think even something small like people-watching on my own is a happy thing to do. But anyhow, I'm definitely making things better and more comfy for myself to date. I probably can see my present goals gradually manifesting, and I just want to pen it all down for now.
Good Coffee + Good Reads = Happy Wini
The theory of delayed gratification: I finally had my first Starbucks in Winnipeg today! Like I've said, I've been restraining to spend and indulge, but today I just wanted to do what I always do back home and be myself. So I got a nice Starbucks grande java chip frappucino from the library (after also figuring that this could be my last frappe before the weather turns really chilly-cold anyway!).
I also found out that during non-peak hours, the library here is a really good place to chill and just read. I do need to catch up on Film readings every week over here, so basically I've made this place a personal getaway; a place where Christine and I would call, "a favourite spot in the library". Haha. (Anyway, I do miss my favourite spot in the SMU library from time to time too.)
Then I also checked out a couple other nice quiet chillouts on-campus after class. I need to find someone who'll do coffee + chat with me soon (this is the part where I miss Chris and Kay Key very much)! Ok, actually I think I'll have no trouble cos I've been chatting quite a bit with a Dutch friend and she's pretty much looking for a coffee + books partner too, heh. The greens here are also very inviting and I should sit and read there someday soon, before it gets really cold.
For now, I'm a happy person cos of my frappucino and Art of Travel!
Ok, I know these are very fake shots cos I used the timer haha.
I'm also gradually catching up with my readings on consulting and film research, the latter of which is both meaningful and insightful. Speaking of which, I learnt so much during Film class today - how a film is put together, the different roles in the making of a production and many others.
Trivia: I even learnt that Winnipeg snow is different from any snow in any other part of the world cos it is relatively drier, so cinematographers who want to film snow-walking in Winnipeg have to make use of special sound effects (like crushing a box full of baking powder) in order to imitate its snow-crunching sound! Interesting eh. Haha.
UM Swing Dance
Swing dance commonly refers to an energetic genre of social dances that developed concurrently with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920-40s. During that time, the African Americans were being repressed and this was their way of expressing themselves. Hip Hop is said to have come out of swing dancing; while the most popular form of swing dance is the Lindy Hop.
I decided I should try something different on exchange and hence signed up for Jive and Lindy Hop classes! I think I'll never embark on such things back in Singapore anyway, so this will really form a memorable and enriching part of my exchange experience. After all, it's something that falls out of my usual comfort zone, and I'm glad that people over here learn to laugh at themselves even when they feel noob-ish, just like I did! Haha.
Mexican Party
Something else that happened last night - it was Mexico's Independence Day, so the 10-12 Mexican exchange students decided to hold a get-together and cooked some traditional Mexican food for all of us! It was really nice and heartwarming somehow, to know that they're such close-knit and happy people. They also played Mexican music and showcased some traditional dances..
Preparing the tortillas
Rosa and Vida
Rodofo, who gave his "Viva Mexico" speech
Very good Mexican tequila (I tried a sip and I think it can burn if you drink it on an empty-stomach), and their amazing Salsa sauce (again, I tried one tiny dot and it numbed my tongue and lip instantly!) Oh my god. Haha.
I realize I can't keep up with blogging what's happened over the past few days, so by Luyi's popular request, here are just some photos of the weekend's highlights; the captions and mini-elaborations should suffice I hope!
Fri, 12 Sep - St Vital Mall
St Vital Mall is just off Bishop Grandin Boulevard, and we came here specially to check out its Wal-Mart (it's my 2nd Wal-Mart thus far since the previous US trip, but in a city (town) like Winnipeg, Wal-Mart is probably considered exciting already? Haha.)
Ok, I came here too cos I found out that they sell the rubber hot-water bottles that I can hug to sleep in winter! :) I actually went all over Singapore to find it you know, even checked out Tan Tock Seng and SGH but to no avail!
Wini in Winnipeg with Winnie the Pooh!
And we saw a whole lot of Halloween stuff on display! Super fascinating - they have inflatable coffins, dancing ghosts, dancing skeletons and a whole lot of other things that got us pretty excited! So we decided to dress up with the props..
Cute or scary?
Trick or Treat? A very cool knife with movable liquid blood.. and a Halloween version of Kinder Surprises!
Fri, 12 Sep - AIMS Barbecue + Party
AIMS organized a little barbecue gathering for the exchange students, and after that we headed downtown to a club called "Alive", to get a feel of the music they play in clubs over here.
A whole bunch of exchange students, and Lindsay (AIMS events coordinator)
Dennis, and Dennis' buddy Ron
Momo and Marcel from Germany
The interior of Alive, which is rather nice actually though the dance floor is quite small..
The picture at the top RH corner shows the locals line-dancing (!?!) in the club! Apparently all clubs here play some country music at some point in the night, and this is what the locals do whenever that happens, haha. It's kinda amusing, but according to Dylan who went to SMU on exchange, he didn't get what people were doing on Mambo Night either. So I guess this is just Mambo without hands and with footwork?
Ivan, Momo, Ron, Dylan, Marcel (clockwise from top left. not counting Js and I)
Sat, 13 Sep (Mid-Autmn's Eve) - Meeting up with my buddy Laura
We invited Laura and her boyfriend, Dave over for simple home-cooked fare and their very first mooncakes in their life! Haha.. remember my treasures from Chinatown? I waited so long before I could eat them!
We cooked Indo-mie mee-goreng (just for them to try), bok-choy with mushrooms, cheese mushrooms, oven-baked chicken marinated in oyster sauce, and hotdogs. Didn't have enough spices nor ingredients to make anything more Chinese or Asian! Oh look at my white-lotus double-yolk mooncake, heh.
Behind the scenes - Js was just borrowing someone else's food to take photo! Haha.
Here are some other shots of what we do in residence. Some mini gatherings and parties were held recently in lieu of a couple of exchange students' birthdays - makes me wonder what will happen to my own! Haha..
Rosa (from Mexico)'s birthday party, which consisted of Barcadi, Jack Daniel's, coke, popcorn and chips
Ayumi (from Japan)'s birthday in the common lounge. Many Asians came, and alot of effort was put into decorating the place!
Sun, 14 Sep - Osborne Village
Js and I finally visited Osborne Village to try its good fusion food as well as Baked Expectations' cakes. We heard that shopping here is exciting too, and we did see some cool shops.. though really just 2-3 of them.
This is me munching on the cinnamon swirl that Laura's mum baked for us
The streets of Osborne Village
Spicy Noodle House, and Baked Expectations
Our Apple-Bavarian cheesecake. It is superb.. costs almost CAD 8 per slice! They also have huge non-cheesecakes but those are filled with ALOT of whipped cream.
Gags Unlimited - a cool shop selling all kinds of freaky stuff, including the one below..
Now you see the girl.. and now you don't. Yikes.. it's a hologram but it's scary. :(
FINALLY. This hence wraps up my 2nd week here.. what a slip-shod and long post! ROAR.