What's this business about profesors insisting they be called by their first names, huh? Like Daniel. And then Patrick. I mean, it feels weird. Cause I've grown up calling any authority figure with, at the very least, a Mister before their names. And now, anytime I send an email to a professor and address them respectfully as such (practically begging for help with ISMs and UROPs and whatnot and then receiving minimal rsponses, but that's another story), they send back emails signed off with "Cheers, Daniel!" or "Regards, Patrick." And then the next time I attempt to send an email, I fret over what to address them. Usually, I eventually settle with a neutral and simple "Hi".

I know this friendly-first-name-addressing is supposed to encourage a camraderie of some sort between faculty and students, but I say again: it is weird. I'm just not used to it. Although, I sort of got used to calling Daniel, Daniel, seeing as how the long US trip did make us all friendly with each other. oh well.

On semester one results: appallingly bad. CAP now lower than ever and I had a bad day trying to get over it and convince myself that there's still a future for me.

2008 Resolutions: Be very hardworking, till there's no space left for worrying about not being hardworking enough. And make money for distant-future holiday plans.

Finally, I've decided to add an entry after a drought of blogging. Before I jump in with the Morocco photos, can I just say first that I am slowly going nuts with planning my independent study modules. I feel like I'm swimming in a big pile of confusing rubbish, trying to figure out what to do. ah sigh - life takes courage, it does. Meeting a professor tomorrow to discuss; please don't let him think I'm a hopeless blurblob.

anyway. photos!

The family sending us all off at the airport. Also bumped into Kak naz, who was on the way to India!


In Hassan II Mosque, the 3rd largest in the world. Extremely pretty.


Exterior of Hassan II.


Hassan II from afar. And Ahmad making a fuss.


El fresco seafood lunch


The guard at the royal mausoleum


Terrace photo at Helnan Chellah Hotel in Rabat




Our first Moroccan tajine dish: with lots of potato and mutton.


Mint Tea, poured by Eddie Murphy lookalike.


I love this photo! Spot the doggie.


Volubilis, ancient roman city.




Scenic stopover


We stopped to pet the camels! But yes, we were still freaked a little by them.


THe famous Jamaa El-Fna in Marrakesh. The place is all hustle and bustle.


Desert scenery.


That's all I have patience for, I'm sorry. Haha. I still have the video to work on, and my gosh - just thinking about it makes me tired. Why do I have to be so goddamn ambitious all the time when I know all along I'm part-sloth? I keep thinking things, but not doing them.

But nevermind: positive thinking yields positive results!

OHMYGOSH! I am soooo proud of Hady!!! The screaming in my house rivaled the time Taufik won idol. I screamed like crazy! I mean, it was totally unexpected, totally unbelievable. You have the Indian Idol there, with about a billion supporters, and the Indonesian Idol, who was on his own turf. Not to mention the judges constantly trumping how EEEEVeryone else had fantastic voices, lightly dismissing hady and phuong vy (who is so superbly pretty, I think). Then Hady won! Like ohmygoodness. I think it was the shock of the year for Singapore. We were actually cheering for Abhijeet, cause we felt Hady had no chance, and we just didn't want Mike to win, cause it was irritating the way the Indonesian channel was so blatantly favouring him. But when Hady won: EUPHORIA yar! >.<

I want to be at the airport when he comes back to Singapore! When is he coming back!!!

Back from Morocco! I haven't uploaded photos onto my comp yet. I'm more occupied with trying to print them. My family has got the latest gadget - the canon photoprinter! which rocks. :) I really like. So now am on a new project, trying to make a scrapbook of Morocco. As if making the video wasn't enough work, I had to do something else! I am a nutcase sometimes.

In a nutshell, Morocco was: sweet and cosy. Mostly due to the small company (relatively so) - my family minus my brother, and ahmad and aunty jah. The weather was COLD. Surprisingly so. We saw camels again! And petted them. And lots of fluffy cats.

(I think I really, really want my own cat. But I digress.)

And the food was really shockingly not to our taste. Travel and living made all the food look deceptively delectable. But it really isn't something people in the far east can easily appreciate. The taste was just utterly... foreign. It's hard to explain. My dad was complaining how one of our fish dishes tasted like "ubat batuk ibu dan anak". Haha. And I really couldn't disagree all that much.

Architecture was gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I especially like Volubilis, the Roman ruins. And I also like the Hassan Mosque in Casablanca; the third largest in the world and one of the most beautiful I've ever laid eyes on. And Marrakesh was a pretty sight too. I really will try to find time to post photos here amid my other projects.

Also, I have to confess here that Gossip Girl has gotten me too. It is just too juicy. What with all the pretty people and the gorgeous clothes to die for (yes, even I succumb!) and the crazily tangled relationships. But of all of the characters, it just had to be Chuck that I absolutely feel most for. And therefore love. He makes you want to strangle and hug him at the same time. I think DT!Draco probably ruined me forever. Ever since my 15-year-old self discovered the appeal of woobies, no matter what the story, I always find myself going for the bad boy with the bad reputation but misunderstood by the world. I really do wonder behind the psychology of it.

So anyway, I was just watching episode 10, and @_@. Please, Chuck. I need you on the show.