On Sunday our group went to the Singapore Zoo to go on the midnight safari. Somehow, our group kept growing and growing as our 3 hour ride to the zoo continued. What originally began as the Mexicans, the Aussie, the Dutch guy, Christina, and I plus the northerners and David from Canada eventually became us plus a huge group of Americans from Connecticut and Chicago. Crammed onto the back of the bus for a long ride to the zoo, it was quite a sight: A huge mix of cultures and people from various backgrounds on one bus together. I felt like we were on a field trip. Once we got there we met even more people, and I'm seriously considering buying a speakerphone and a big flag to carry around so that our group can stick together. (We tried to do roll call by country "Mexicans!! Check. Germans!! Check) but it didn't work out too well. The creatures of the night show was so cool, but I secretly wish that the snake was hidden under my feet! Luckily, John from Michigan got his 5 minutes of fame when we volunteered him up to hold the gigantic boa. He looked terrified, which was the most entertaining part. But when he told the crowd he was from America, Christina and I cheered the loudest.
We went on a tram ride around the park, but sadly the lady's creepy voice was more entertaining than the animals we saw there. Afterwards the huge group was waiting for a bus to get back to campus, but we didn't know exactly where we were. We asked a group of guys on the curb how to get to NTU and the guy looked down and said, "WTF Is NTU?" It was pretty much the best comment of the night. Anyways we divided the group into eaters and non-eaters, and it ended up being Christina and I and 5 other very hungry boys (Roel, Daniel, Alexis, Frank and David). We beat the other boys in a fancy limo back to Boon Lay to eat some food at a real authentic asian food court. Roel and I got noodles wrapped in paper, pretty much like a present.
Our ongoing conversations revolve around America's superiority over other countries (lol) and my unrelenting effort to prove that Americans have invented more things than their country. Like the light bulb..or Michael Jackson, for example. So far, Roel can only come up with Phillips for Holland, and Daniel can't really come up with anything good for australians, but thats not surprising is it? After or 11 oclock dinner Alexis, Christina and I took a $2 each cab ride back home while the boys all walked bahaha.
That day I also went to the most delicious Hyatt chinese buffet ever with Yee Poa Poa, Uncle Arthur, Aaron and Sharon. I, Renee Payne, ate two servings of Indian food. Shocking, I know.
School started Monday, and it is so strange being in a new country but learning the same things. Being the nerdy girl that I am, I was the only person who sits in the front row alone. All of the locals sit in the back of the room. They are all a bit cliquey, it definitely makes me miss my exchange friends. Luckily, Christina is going to take Social Psych with me, or at least we hope. The poor girl's horrible schedule and course confusion combined with our lack of being roommates made her have a very bad day yesterday. The poor thing couldnt skype in her room due to her roommate sleeping so she was in my room and we were both up talking late. We were meant to be roommates, and finally NTU has recognized that (thanks to Uncle Arthur). I will be moving out of this bug infested room tomorrow, thank god. We found a spider by my bed last night, where Christina tried to get it for me. But it was a fail. Anyways, the important thing is that Im out of here soon and Christina will be my new roommate in 19 days and our room will be the place it is happenin! Just had to raise a little hell!!!
I will write more later, but I must say that so far the best line of the trip was when Christina learned what a squatter was. "Oh, HEEEEEEEEELLLLLL NOOOOOOO" was her reaction, in the best southern accent you could ever imagine. I almost died laughing. She thought they were toilets under construction. Bless her heart.
<3 chi ai
