"perceiving life as a perpetual film."

the days are fraught with biting cold winds and not a sign of a snowflake

i'm at the beaver hall computer lab... haven't gotten round to actually trying to connect my laptop to the lan extension in my room. it's been a really really busy few days so far... socializing with the other foreign students and settling in (FINALLY!) to my dormitory. it's rather cosy and my roommate just moved in this morning, she seems like a rather sweet person although she's super into rock music... nirvana, johnny cash and anti-bush posters adorn her walls while my side of the room remains blank. maybe i should buy some magazines and rip out interesting pages to stick everywhere... unlike my room back home which is full of my photographs and that sole poster of audrey hepburn which jovian gave me...if anyone wants to send me anything (except rotten food) send it to 402 Beaver Hall, University Park, PA 16802, U.S.A. i would totally love receiving anything in the mail...

well. so far i've attended one pennstate nittanylions versus michigan spartans basketball match at a huge stadium... i have never supported nus basketball before and there i was rooting for the penn state people... which sadly lost 50-something to 84. it was painful to watch and apparently the referee was super kayu... though i bet if we were to stand up and shout it into the arena people'd think we were totally mad. went broomballing the 3rd night at pennstate (it's like ice hockey without a puck, with a ball instead and broom-shaped sticks and normal shoes instead of skates) and fell smack on my knees... i've officially gotten the biggest bruise of my entire life. the right knee is all the colours of the rainbow and it's an interesting conversation opener.. good for making new, sympathetic friends. and last night, we went to this housewarming party thrown by two danish girls.. they're actually korean but don't speak a word of their native language as they were adopted since young. our music tastes unite in harmony though. music makes the world go round man.

the food selection at the nearby dining commons is completely crazy. now i know why i'm bound to gain weight before returning home. mil and i have pledged to do 50 situps a day but i sorely fear it will be a lost cause... imagine having a ponderosa selection times 3 for meals EVERYDAY. there's like 6 different kinds of dessert, soft icecream, hard scoop icecream, yogurt, 8 kinds of cereal, dunno how many kinds of fruit, icecream toppings, and all the main courses are absolutely LADEN with carbs but it all looks so damn good that i can't help but point to this and that... even the bagels are accompanied by 4 different spreads ... strawberry/blueberry/light/normal cream cheese.... ack. the coffee's fantastic as well, from seattle coffee company and the milk they provide in the containers ALSO comes in various flavours... i tried out hazelnut cream and irish creme today.

okay enough about food. school starts tomorrow and i fear being left behind... lost in my lack of experience and inspiration from singapore's lousy, monotonous scenery. the college here is a constant source of architectural fascination for me... i don't think i'll ever get tired of the mountains surrounded by low fog, the ski slopes in the distance and the mix of trees, some green-leaved and some totally bare. when the icestorms hit a few days back my friends and i acted like total suakus, touching the icicles that formed everywhere... on tree leaves, branches and on chain link fences. not a winterwonderland but an iced fairytaleworld.

i'm still in a suspended state of disbelief.