11th March 2018

As previously discussed, Joanna and I went to hang out. We went into this Korean grocery store and saw this.

Cos I'm a rebel.

Seagulls and spring onions.

After that we went to Goodwill to go thrift shopping. I found this pretty solid denim jacket for $11.75.

This design brings back Microsoft word art-ing back in 2007 memories.

We had Vietnamese Pho at this pho place. Then we had Baskin Robbins since Joanna never had Baskin Robbins. I freaking love Baskin Robbins. I should go more.

9th March 2018

Friday. Three weeks before finals.

We had our weekly Physics quiz. Andy told me he didn't do too well. He asked me how I did for the previous Physics test. I was reluctant to tell him what my marks were exactly, despite getting really high marks. I guess it's the need to be humble or whatever that carried over from secondary school.

Kelly had asked if she could come and hang with me on Fridays after classes. After her class ended, we went over to Panda Express to grab lunch. Then we went to the park near my place and played at the playground like little kids. There's this spin structure where you can sit on it and Physics will take it spin really fast. It's such a simple structure but it's always so fun to sit on. I've sat on it when I came to the playground with Joanna (housemate, we gotta learn names around here) months ago, but this was Kelly's first time discovering it.

Around 2pm we reached home. Did some studying, but not before going on Google street view and showing each other where we grew up. That was fun. The night before I was doing the same thing with Joanna (housemate) while looking up places to eat around the area. We talked about how we should eat at a new place every week since neither of us has really explored the area. That's what I did the night before until 1am instead of studying for the Physics quiz. Well. That's why I did badly.

At the park.

Kelly's uncle brought us out for dinner that night. We had Thai food. I thanked him for his generosity. Seriously. Why do I know such nice people. 

Right: Evening sky outside the Thai restaurant. Left: Dinner

2nd March 2018

Friday.

I got all of my midterm results back. Here's the breakdown. 80/100 for math, 85% for Chemistry (everyone else did poorly), and 47/45 for Physics.

Chem prof told me I did relatively well, but it wasn't enough for me. I was hoping for at least 90% on that chem test since I thought I did pretty well. Physics prof told me I did a great job. Physics results was really the only one I was satisfied with.

But overall, I considered it a win. To celebrate, I cycled all the way to 85 Degree bakery to buy that milk toast I've been craving since forever, but it was sold out. but I'm just happy that hell of a week is over.

Also that cat came again.

One of the geese seen hanging around the fountain outside the college library. I guess that make sense.

February 2018

9th February 2018

It's Friday. Had Ramen lunch with Louise and Kei. After that we went back to school and there were barely anyone around on a mid Friday afternoon. Louise had always wanted to lie down on the grassy field in college so we just lied down on the grass under the cool afternoon sun.

My Ramen

Took a picture of the sky while we were lying down

A flower

11th February 2018

Remember Kelly? She had told me last year that I was always welcomed to join her, her uncle and some of his Malaysian/church friends if I ever feel the need to get out of the house on Sundays. We went to church. I don't know why I keep going to churches when I am not even religious. There was this keyboardist at church that Kelly really fancied. I only liked his hairstyle.

On the bright side, Kelly's uncle gave me egg tarts. I gave one to my housemate. Look at that glorious custard.

14th February 2018

It's Valentine's Day and I don't really care. I think more people should be happy being single. But hey,  at least the two geese at school have each other. Speaking of the geese, I have no idea where they came from. I'm just happy to see animals at school really. I like anything that resembles ducks. Or anything that waddles.

Geese and physics lecture hall

15th February 2018

Thursday. The Malaysian students at De Anza are hosting a potluck party in conjunction with Chinese New Year at one of their apartments tomorrow, since it was also a four-day weekend from Friday to Monday. Everyone had to bring something. I've decided to make Onde-onde. I came home at 10pm after Chemistry lab and pretty much stayed up until 1am making them.

All the ingredients laid out before I started. Ran into a lot of problems like not having a powerful enough blender to blend the pandan leaves. When I finally got around to it, I extracted the essence from the blended leaves.

Added coconut milk, sugar, and the essence to glutinous rice flour and kneaded. Turned them into little balls and placed tiny bits of palm sugar into them. For the most part they turned out edible but...they just didn't taste like the ones at home, mainly because I couldn't find gula melaka or better palm sugar.

I made about 30 balls (I ate like 7). It was 1am so I had to boil them the next morning before leaving for the party.

16th February 2018 (Malaysian potluck party)

Kelly came to my house in the morning. We had planned to go to the party together by bus. She helped me with the final prep for the Onde-onde, and we left at 10.30am.

The place was pretty rad. They had a swimming pool and a grill outside. One of our friends made her satay there. 

 Picture on the top left: That green-rimmed container is my Onde-onde. The one below is Kelly's milo cake. Other food featured: Curry chicken, Mee Siam, Roti Canai, biscuits, Lou Sang, Satay, Salad, Sautéed Broccoli, Nasi Minyak, drinks

Met some new Malaysian friends there. The party area was also a game room so there was a dart board and a Pingpong table. We played Bluff, Poker, Heart Attack, and at the end of the party, all 19(?) of us gathered around and played Avalon.

Before the party wrapped up, we separated all the leftovers in portions and put them on the Pingpong table for everyone to take home.

5pm, around 5 of us left to play basketball at a nearby park. I was still a noob. Felt like poop cos I was obviously the weakest player on the court.

Still had fun tho.

18th February 2018

Sunday. Kelly had invited me to her Uncle's friends' Chinese New Year lunch and party. We went to this Oriental restaurant and had a ten-course meal, like typical experience back home.

I got to have alcohol. For maybe the fifth or sixth time despite being underage. Also this cleverly-designed glass.

Some of the food we had. 

After that, Eileen, one of Kelly's uncle's friends, invited us over to her house to have Malaysian kuih. Her house was gorgeous. The neighborhood even more so.

Kelly and I left the house for a while to take some pictures.

23rd February 2018

I made kaya jam today. Huge success.

26th February - March 1st 2018

Thursday. This must have been the most stressful week of my college life so far.

I had a Chemistry midterm on Tuesday, a Math chapter test one Wednesday, and today, a Physics test. I kept telling everyone how I was probably going to die.

Chemistry went okay, but you never know with my professor's marking methods. Math was the worst because I basically neglected it to study for Chemistry and Physics. Andy, one of my Physics lab partners, asked me after how the test went for me. I said it went okay. It actually went well.

It's been raining a lot lately. In fact, it was drizzling after Physics. I didn't want to cycle in the rain, so I just walked home. I used to really like rain back home, but for some reason I don't like it here. Maybe because it makes the weather colder than it already is. Maybe it's too pathetic. Maybe it's because it always rains whenever I have to cycle.

Rainy sky on the way home.

And also because it's been raining, there's this really fat (or well-fed) ginger cat that seeks shelter in the shelter house at home.

Look at this carefree bastard. Guess who didn't just have three midterms a week? Not this guy.

January 2018

1st January 2018

We watched Star Wars today. It's been forever since I've watched a Star Wars movie. Regardless, I still enjoyed it. It was also the first time I've been to a theater in the US.

Cousin and I wanted to to get boba for one last time. But it was close. :(

 I leave Bakersfield tomorrow, and I am not ready to let go and be thrown back into the reality of going to college again. 21 units, 4 classes, a 7.30am and 10.20pm class. I am not prepared.

2nd January 2018

I left today.

Some moos on the way back to Cupertino on the train ride.

7th January 2018

I did a whole bunch of things the past few days.

I watched a bunch of movies on my laptop. All of Rush Hour, both Kingsman movies and the Prince of Egypt. Bought them all on YouTube. I figured it would be a good way to kill time while waiting for college to start.

Went to TJ Maxx to hunt for more nail polish. Kinda went crazy on the nail polish arrangement.

Also remember that penguin toy I wanted in Bakersfield? I got it off Amazon, but it was a LOT smaller than expected....

...not gonna return it tho.

First week of Winter 2018

College started today. I have math class everyday at 7.30am, then English Writing at 8.30am, then Physics at 9.30am. I'm basically done for the day by 10.30am except for Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have Chemistry from 6pm to 10.30pm (but we usually end before 10pm). It's a huge pain in the butt, having to travel to and fro school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Moreover, it's as cold as jingle balls at 7am in the morning when I'm trying to cycle to school - and also when I am cycling back during night time. In the middle of winter. 

The only pro to all of this night classes shebang is getting to enjoy the school in its nighttime stillness. Huge contrast to how the college is during the daytime.

How the PE quad looks like at night.

How a normal Chemistry lab goes by. I believe this was the precipitation experiment we did.

26th January 2018

So I met this Singaporean girl, Breen, in my Chemistry class few weeks ago and she invited me to hang out and study at her apartment. Apartment life have always been interesting to me, but truth be told, sharing a two-bedroom apartment with 5 other people doesn't make a conducive environment for me. The visit definitely made me more appreciative for my current living situation. Although I am paying roughly $200 more than Breen, I have my own room, get to use all of my landlord's kitchen necessities and have a neat house to come home to.

Her living room. That mattress in the corner belongs to one of her flatmates. What isn't shown in this picture is the pile of shoes by the entrance behind me.

Their kitchen.