PISA

Since I've been here..I've joined this one group that I absolutely L.O.V.E!! It's called PISA (Purdue's international student alliance)
So what is PISA about...well according to them its about bringing people of different cultures together and teaching one another about each others culture and so forth...!

All the people in this group are amazing..so nice and so so friendly! I recently went away with them for a MT (membership training) weekend to a beach house in Michigan!! Can you believe it! AMAAAZING...it was here I was able to get to know these PISA lovelies better through games and of course parties with alcohol! Let me tell you..these people know how to party and drink :P But what I loved is that the weekend wasn't solely based on alcohol and parties...we went there to get to know one another and that is what we did. Seperated into two teams, Blue and White...we competed against one another in various taks such as tug of war, ball games..and blind mans bluff..! Oh and the best time won....Go white team ;)

With 42 people in one house..it was going to be from the outset a tight squeeze...3 to each bed!! But even though people  weren't going to get much sleep it didn't matter...the amount of fun memories that came to pass in this house was worth the sleepless nights!

Distance makes the heart grow fonder??

Facebook has the most amazing photos sometimes! It amazes me the amount of pictures or information you can find on there! I stumbled across this image and it made me LOL aloud! It reminds me so much of my situation right now with my boyfriend...! Weirdly enough they have very similar hair colours and styles to us also hehehe..but still...I love the quote underneath it..

'If someone truly loves you, distance is not a problem, It's just the power of making (that) love grow each day'

I think this quote is true...if you are crazy enough about each other..there is always a way...just like the quote 'Where there is a will, there is a way'

It may be hard...but it can be done and when it is time to go home and see each other again..you're just that more appreciative of the time you have together...well that is what I believe :D

I found this picture and JUST had to post it!!

october is over...already!

I can't quite believe that tomorrow is the end of another month here! How time flies!!! I still find it hard to believe that I've already attended 3months of classes and been here since August and yet Uni back home has only just begun and yet we finish on the same date...!!

Midterms are finally over and the results are in....I can safely say that I did amazing!! The lowest grade I was given was 89% and the highest 100%!! I can't even believe it myself...I do better here than I do at home..I keep asking myself "Should I move to America for my final year??!" On a downer...since November is here...that means finals are also drawing closer as is the COLD COLD weather! HOWEVER....that means Christmas is around the corner :D and how can that not bring a smile to my face? Not only is it the season for me to gorge on lots of yummy foods and cakes but importantly it means I get to go home and see the people I miss the most in the world! I cannot wait to see them all...finally get to hug them and see their faces for real and not on skype! This I cannot wait to do...just to hug my little niece again, my mum, my dad, my sisters and of course my boyfriend!

Let the count down begin...............!

Bleuggh....!

That is the word today that pretty much sums up my mood...need I say more? =|

.......

 Today I was talking to two friends of mine about my long distance relationships. Let me tell you this now..what people say about it is true...ITS HARD but it can be done. 

I remember the day I broke the news to my bf that I had won a place at Purdue University...in America. And I would be gone for one year. Although I could see that he was proud of me I could see there was something else there, he was sad and thinking what would happen to us already as was I. Not only this...I had left him during the Easter holiday too for the Study China Programme! I sound like a bad gf... we had just started going out a couple months in and wham...I'm going away for a year already >.<' I really have fantastic timing!! 

I have to say he is an amazing guy and I am so happy to have met him...he's been so supportive of me and so encouraging! Any other guy would have suggested to end it and that was honestly what I thought he would do in the worse case scenario. But he shocked me and asked to stay together...how I couldn't stop smiling and feel happy about that one comment..! I felt and still do feel really lucky to have him and everytime I think of this....

But the question that really got me today is when my friend asked me...'But how do you know he won't cheat on you??!' Honestly I don't know, I don't know what he gets up to there and he doesn't know what I do..But what I do know is his character and I trust him not to cheat on me. 

Even though it is hard and I can't stop thinking what he's doing or why isn't he online to talk to me...I know he has a life to be getting on with and me also...even though we are a couple we still lead our sepearte lives but eventually come together and talk about it...my favourite part! I miss those night where we would just talk all night and eventually fall asleep in each others arms. I think thats the hard part...the physical contact. I miss all the kisses, hugs and snuggles. But what makes this worth it is that when I go back home for christmas the ones I get will be just a great and special :)

Reading one of the post on Bubzbeauty about a long distance relationship this quote stood out to me and it is very true. Each and every relationship is based on this and without it I don't know how it would work...

"As different as they sound, long distance relationships AND a normal relationship both require one thing to survive - Trust"

Boredom and lack of social life

Its Friday night and its 21:44. I'm in America there should be something for me to do right? The answer is no. I feel like all I do here is work, work, work....before I came here I did know Americans work hard with their midterms and constant testing and so forth but I still do not comprehend how they manage it and have a social life! I think I've done more work here than I have in my academic life in Loughborough!!! Its quite scary how I didn't do that much at home yet still manage to get 2:1 and 2:2 mark....here 60% is crap everyone strives for at least 90% and so do I. Something I need to take back home with me...but its not that easy as the way they test and grade is different to that at home. 

Still I have no life...All I really do is sit infront of my laptop and surf the net and by surf the net I mean constantly refrest my FB page...which is very very sad -.-' 

I thought this a prime time to update this blog hence the numerous post I have been doing recently!! Ah I have to say it does feel good to get some stuff out and written down...

This is my list of what I need to do:

1) Work

2) Revise for midterms

3) Do essay due 4.10.11

4)Read for next lessons

5)Eat

6)Sleep

7) party/socialise/anything other than work   <---this one needs to makes its way up the list soon!

such an amazing list don't you think??

Study China Easter 2011

Study China, one of the best experiences of my life! It came with a number of great memories friends but also came with some negatives.

As you can see the sights and scenery in China is stunning. If you go to the right places especially!! 

Even though there were some good memories..there were some bad. I originally went with my best friend and were literally as close as can be. I was soo excited to go there with her and could not wait to take off and get there. But on the way back, after 3 weeks it was the opposite..I could tell something had changed and it was not for the better.

To begin with it was fine...we were meeting new people and getting to know the group but after a while things changed and I was not the only one to notice this. I felt left out and to an extent/cut off and isolated from her. It isn't the best feeling especially when you're miles away from home. What really hurt is that she would just go off and leave me and not think to ask me along or save me a place when we did activities or had lunch. It kinda hurt to think, I would have done this for you but why couldn't you just save one seat for me? It also makes me think back and ask myself what did I actually do while I was there for her to act like that? I know I wasn't going crazy because friends noticed it too. Those who were on the trip and those who weren't....

When we got back from the trip it didn't get much better. We did not speak at all. Maybe a hello and that was it. I was becoming soo confused to what was actually happening here...she acted so cold towards the end of the trip and now even more so when we returned home. I found out only after 3months of not talking why...apparently someone (who ever it was I don't really care anymore, because what's done is done and I don't want to lose another friend) told her somethings I said to them about our trip and how it was for me...I honestly told them thinking they would say nothing but it didn't and that was the outcome. What makes me angry is that she couldn't come and talk to me herself, but rather thought 3 months of silence was better....Even to now the close relationship we had is pretty much over and I think we will be civil to one another but I highly doubt it will be as it was before...which is sad but I guess thats the way it was meant to be.

On the bright side I was able to finally visit the "Homeland". Although I did fit in, I stuck out like a sore thumb. First off I can't speak Chinese very well and secondly I just don't look like the sterotypical Chinese in terms of dress and body shape...It is quite funny that everywhere I went everyone thought me to be Chinese (which I am) but were in shock to hear I was from the UK. They were adimant that I was from China, at least somewhere down the line. This is what my conversations went like:

Chinese person: Where are you from?

Me: London, UK

Chinese Person: No really, you look chinese!! You have a chinese face ..where are your parents from?

Me: Mauritius

Chinese Person: Huuh? Where? Where are your Grandparents from?

Me: Oh they're from China

Chinese Person: OH see! There you are chinese! Where are they from?

Me: Mei Xian / Mo yen

Chinese Person: Where?

Me: Its a really tiny village.

Chinese Person: oh...

Ah good times! Bear in mind this took place in very very bad english/mandarin...sometimes I just wish I could speak fluent of better chinese than I can right now..but I guess that doesn't come without some hard work.

But other than that, this was an amazing trip! If I could do this again I would not hesitate in a heart beat! In terms of the people...I met a number of people I would love to remain in contact with and I hope to meet with them soon enough :)

The places I was able to see: The West Lake, Wahaha factory, Tea village, Bamboo gardens and so so much more...all were amazing! I just wish I had a better camera with me so I could really capture the scenes..thats my next task..BUY AN AMAZING CAMERA- something that is affordable for a student =|