first day home

woke up at 1130am thinking it was 8am in the morn, coz i'm too used to the sun rising early over in Europe. even if u wake up at 5:30am (or at 4:30 like someone else does), it's usually bright and sunny. their days are very long; the sun sets at 10pm in Paris, which took some getting used to.

went to meet the rest of the Famous Four for lunch. it's amazing how we managed to meet with such short notice; i got my LP's sms the day i got back, JG had just returned from exchange the day before, and with my LP and HL's busy schedules... haha.

the worst thing was that i'd forgotten to get them souvenirs coz i hadn't met them in 6 mths, ever since JG went on exchange. it was really embarrassing when my LP told me she'd just been to Bangkok and had gotten me something and JG gave us US pennies that had been remolded into other designs. and there i was, with nothing to give. darn!! if only i weren't backpacking. i should have bought more stuff back. but it's no joke carrying an 18kg backpack ard.

anyway, we went to Koo Kee Ramen at Bugis for ramen and chinese dumplings. HL's gf came along too, which made things a bit awkward. but it was an eyeopener, seeing HL so attentive - cutting her noodles, taking dumplings for her, etc. my LP and i were giving each other sneaky grins the whole time.

and it was not only HL that changed. JG changed too after coming back from exchange. he now cooks and does laundry. whatever happened to the two mischievious guys who used to bully us two during pillow fights and cake fights! the guys who used to upturn mattresses and smother us with them, then sit on top and laugh while we struggle below, are actually turning into gentlemen. alas, the two females in the group have yet to follow their lead and turn into young ladies. my LP and i are still talking and laughing loudly, preferring to dress in pants and berms, etc. haha.

HL left with his gf straight after lunch. leaving us Terrible Three alone again. just like before the A's when he would abandon the 3 of us to study with his class. we then spent 3 hrs sitting at Coffee Bean while JG showed us pics and videos from his exchange of trips to Western America and Canada. it was hilarious man, the crazy antics his bunch got up to. he's one of the rare few who can keep my interest in seeing pics from his vacation. so much so that when he mentioned he would have put us up if we had gone to US for the hols, my LP and i were struck with a pang of regret and we're still lamenting about it hrs later. we would definitely have gone if he'd seriously offered. darn.

it always strikes me as funny the way things go with some friends. how u can not meet up with them for a long long time, and when everyone gets together again, we're all transported back to the old times. it's seriously been some time since i laughed so much. this is probably the bunch of friends i spent the majority of time with in JC. we'd talk and crap over billard games and dinner. and they'd tease me abt leaving AC after the 1st 3 mths. we'd have our regular cake fights where everyone gets covered in cake and cream, i've got pics to prove it. and the pillow fights where LP and i would get thrashed. haha. fond memories.

we later adjourned to the Soup Restaurant for a traditional Chinese meal of Samsui Chicken, Sambal Kang Kong, Steamed Fish and Lotus Root Pork Rib soup. yum! we spent so much time over our meal that we ended up being last to leave. we would have taken longer if not for the restaurant staff giving obvious hints that we'd overstayed our welcome. heh.

alas, it'll prob be another 6 mths before we meet up again. but i'm looking forward to it. esp since JG has volunteered to let us sample his cooking. heh.