Hello! It's been a long while since i last blogged.
I really wished I could be more consistent in doing this because there has been so many new experiences each day and so many new emotions and feelings felt that I wished there had been a machine to automatically transform my thoughts into words so I could record all of them down.
But everyday I'm just so exhausted from all the day's activities that when I get back to my room, I just crash. Now I'm just squeezing time out in between train rides to update on my experience so far.
So after 3 weeks of settling down in Mannheim, I'm starting to travel again. This time to the small country of Luxembourg! This country is so small and often overlooked by most travelers. Most people would think that a country as tiny as this wouldn't have much to offer. I wouldn't have thought of visiting this place either if not for some of the Singaporean exchange students who suggested that idea. But some things happened and they didn't choose to go ahead with the plan so I'm here with only one other guy. After being here for 3 days, I would say luxembourg may not have the grandest, most majestic scenery, but it has the friendliest locals, efficient and clean public transport system and just 5 minutes from the city you find yourself in the sweet countryside filled with green meadows, small rivers and quaint cottages. It's a lovely lovely sight to behold. My favorite parts are the bus rides, looking out the window and admiring the lovely scenery of the peaceful countryside. So so relaxing really. The reason I came to Luxembourg was just to get away from the city life to enjoy some quiet and relaxed time with nature and it certainly didn't let me down.
Overall I would say it was a very pleasant and nice 2 days here in Luxembourg.
Weather was perfect too!
The town of vianden where we stayed for 2 nights
Hiking through the forest on the 2nd day
And I'm thankful I chose to travel together with someone. Initially I wasn't very receptive of the idea of traveling alone with a guy, let alone one whom I have known for only a short period of time. But I just agreed to let him come along since both of us wanted to do the same things. And I found out travelling is a different and interesting way to get to know another person.
// There's so so soooo many things I wanna share with you guys, I swear.
From meeting the group of Singaporean students and the international friends from Portugal, Greece, Sweden, New York, Korea during orientation to the BBQ that Gary organized at Ulmenweg where we met even more international friends from Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Lithuania, to the day trips out to Frankfurt and nearby towns like schwetzingen and Heidelberg on random days to celebrate birthdays/catch fireworks at night, to the partying and drinking culture in Germany (they have parties in schools almost every other alternate day it's crazy) to the dinner cooking sessions almost every other night at sum's place (almost everyday after lessons we are out in the city centre shopping for ingredients for our next meal), to meeting a girl I can clique with while on exchange and having her bunk in with me almost every other night to the 1 euro bowling game on Wednesday nights at the bowling centre just 15 minutes walk away from our residence with the international gang.
School is never like school here. And this experience has been so refreshing and fulfilling and... I just don't want this carefree life to end.
I'm really enjoying the fact that you are surrounded by people from all over the world and you have the opportunity to meet new people everyday; at the supermarket, in the laundry room, etc.
And it's interesting living in a country where the culture is so different. While I'm adjusting well to the life here (from remembering to bring my grocery bag every time I go out to the supermarket, to memorizing the bus timings so I wouldn't have to wait another half an hour or sometimes an hour for the next bus, to getting all my groceries on Saturdays cos all shops are closed on Sundays, to expecting bad service everywhere I go) I'm also beginning to appreciate Singapore for its efficiency and convenience. The locals here are generally more concerned for themselves and service standard is way worse than in Singapore. I will never forget that night when I met a really terrible bus driver that I couldn't help but curse and swear at him (inside). Oh and one thing that is so inconvenient here is that all the signs, instructions, packagings and labels are all in German you spend 3 times the amount of time shopping, searching high and low for something you need and translating the words on the packaging on your translator app to make sure it is what you are looking for.
I won't be able to elaborate more or post more photos about the life in Mannheim cos' i'm actually supposed to be preparing for my intensive seminar class which starts tomorrow. It's gonna be a 6 hour seminar that will last for the whole week from Monday to Friday and it is graded by 50% class participation and 50% final exam which i would be taking on Friday afternoon.
It's the first time I'll be actually be using my brain since may and I'm just hoping and praying badly that I can get through this week and that I won't fail my first exam on exchange.
Miss you guys!
Xoxo
Hsiaowoon
