With Love From New York
August 28th, 2008
i write this in a mild state of shock - a direct effect of the sudden imposed revamping of my linguistic hard-wiring. i used to think that if i ever moved to the US or the UK, i would be able to quickly and smoothly adapt to the local lingo, owing to the fact that i read a lot and talk often to friends of both countries, but after four days here, i find that i have been grossly presumptuous about my adapting capabilities. it’s not as easy as reminding yourself to say ‘kleenex’ everytime you want tissue; instead, it is about being totally cautious about what multiple names any given item may have, and then running through your head what would be the American name for it. here, it is ‘elevator’, never ‘lift’. those nametags you hang around your neck during orientation or events? it’s called a badge. ‘faucet’, not ‘tap’. and like, no sentence is complete without throwing in the word ‘like’ as a precursor to like, your articulation of ideas. i observe and soak up these idiosyncrasies with intrigue and bright eyes. yet at the back of my head, i still miss saying, ‘what lah you!’.
so it’s my fourth day here in New York and i must say that things are getting very exciting. i was so tired for the first couple of days because it was non-stop speed-socializing on top of all the unpacking and settling down, and it was hard to even get a moment of alone time because everyone here is so chatty and eager to make friends. dorm room doors here are mostly left often, so people can walk in and out as they please, looking at your books and eating your cookies or whatever. that’s fine by me, but i must admit that my room door has been mostly closed, simply because i still need my me-time to do my own stuff without having to make small talk every now and then. small talk is easy, i know, but believe me it gets so exhausting when you have to repeat the same stuff about yourself every 5 minutes.
however, listening to (probably repeated every 5 minutes too) stuff about my new schoolmates is a whole different thing altogether. i absolutely love it. there are so many different kinds of people here, all of whom are extremely bright and talented individuals with the most diverse hobbies and backgrounds. i met this girl who’s a contortionist on rope - basically a gymnast who does all sorts of stunts on a rope suspended high off the floor. she showed me pictures of some of her performances and i was totally awestruck at how unique her hobby was. then there’s this guy who builds robots in his free time, and he once built a small machine that would run off on wheels with his alarm clock every time the alarm goes off, just so that he would have to get out of bed and hunt it down, awakening himself in the process. damn cool right? and there are many others with equally interesting stories. mine sound bleak in comparison, but the odd thing is, everytime i talk about myself, the focal point of the conversation always falls on malaysian politics.
almost everyone i’ve spoken to knows about malaysia and our politics. the first few times it happened, i was so fascinated, because i was expecting to say things like, ‘oh we’re north of singapore’. of course, Anwar is the most well-known topic among them, and one guy even knew about the Permatang Pauh win. the best part was when i was explaining the social contract to someone, and i used the word ‘indigenous’ in place of bumiputera.. and the girl sitting next to her piped up and told her friend, “oh the term is ‘bumis’” :O words fail me. i feel an urge to go read up on Venezuelan politics now.
thanks to everyone who’s emailed or MSNed me to ask how things are, or left me supportive comments on my blog. i’ve been good. tired, like i said, but very good. i’ve been settling down well. when i first got here, my aunt came to pick me up at JFK armed with this huge box of stuff that i really needed, like voltage converters, adapters, snacks, water bottles, mug, tissue kleenex and vitamins. then she took me to buy furniture and things for my dorm room. and yesterday she called me to ask if i wanted a rice cooker or a water boiler! she truly is an angel :D and then of course, Martian came here with me to help ease the transition and to give me extra luggage allowance!!! he’s staying at a nearby hotel and checking out museums while i’m at school, but he’s gonna be leaving soon :( i feel very thankful that he came with me though. i feel less lonely and homesick knowing that he’s just a few blocks away from me, and of course it’s so good to be able to spend some more time with him.
and speaking of luggage allowance, i really wish i had brought more stuff because i had something like an additional 20kgs that i didn’t use. should have brought Pooch, more shoes, more photos and more bags :( i really miss Pooch! (he’s this stuffed dog that Martian bought me, btw)
and while i dont have my American phone number yet (soon, soon! i decided on AT&T), what i do have is my mailing address! so if any of you guys wanna drop me a postcard or a letter, which i would really really love, the address is :
Su Ann Lim
5771 Lerner Hall
2920 Broadway
New York, NY 10027-8358
United States of America
i’m thinking i’m going to get my mom to courier Pooch to me :D along with lots of Maggi. dining hall food is balls. i’ve been eating nothing but apples and pretzels since i got here :( oh but yesterday Martian took me to Little Italy for pasta so that was good. and just to give you guys a gauge of how truly expensive NYC cabs are, a 20-minute ride from my college to Little Italy cost us 22 dollars, inclusive of a 2 dollar tip. that’s an RM 75 cab ride!!! oh the trauma! we swore never to take another cab in NYC again :\ the subway is cool but still a bit foreign to me, which is why i got lost coming back from Times Square. wuwuwu!
and uncharacteristically, i dont actually have any photos of my college! hahaha! i just realized that myself. have been so busy running around that i totally forgot to take pictures. but i will take many in due time. for now, i will just have to show you the only photo i have, which is a snapshot of one page from the used copy of The Iliad i bought from my school’s bookstore. the former owner basically annotated the pages with his own contemporary interpretation of the verses:
oh and i am changing the timestamp on my blog to NY time! i’m exactly 12 hours behind you guys, and it’s almost 7pm now, which means it’s time for a quick dinner before the next orientation event.
sigh. i miss lots of things already.
Entry Filed under: College Life, New York City
101 Comments Add your own
1. cK | August 27th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
glad you’re enjoying the states. you’ll probably have to wait till midnight for comments now. haha
2. IcedNyior | August 27th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
good to hear that you’re settling in nicely :) have fun and post up lotsa pics!! *hugs*
3. yosie | August 27th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
i never said kleenex in place of tissue.. maybe a ny thing?
4. Linda | August 27th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Wahhhh… U already in US eh??? Hehehehe good luck Sue Ann.. *** MMMmmmmm sedapnyaaa this nasi lemak*** Hehehehehehe
5. jessica k. | August 27th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
hope that yuu could adapt to the new surrounding and environment soon!
and that previous owner’s interpretation was really straight to the point! lol.
6. Anonymous | August 27th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Sue Ann,
I’m from NY too. When I first came to US, I regretted not bringing lots of stuffs, but believe me you get nicer and cheaper shoes and clothes here. You can get packet noodles similar to maggie in local grocery stores, which is affordable.
All the best.
7. ria | August 27th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Martian is too sweet for words to come with you there. *hugs* please do eat something more than pretzels and apples! :)
8. Waifon | August 27th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
please buy more shoes on my behalf? :) good to know you’re settling fine and not as miserable as what, 2 days ago?
“i’m tired of this shit” HAHAHAHHA
9. edna | August 27th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
all the best there su ann!
10. iamthewitch | August 27th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Good to know that you’re adapting albeit gradually. :) I’m sure you’ll fit like a glove in no time! And please share pictures of your university and dorm and your mates ya!
11. Jennifer | August 27th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Glad to hear you are safe and sound in NY. Somemore you have Martian there with you. You lucky girl. Hehe! Keep us updated. Take care.
12. jasmine | August 27th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
hi su ann, i, like, so enjoyed reading this. =)
i wanted to go to the US too, but didn’t get to. your post made me feel like i was there.
appreciate every minute of your experience there and keep the stories coming girl! all the best and take care.
13. lishun | August 27th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
i’m so glad to hear from you! saw carol on saturday for like 5 minutes (bleurgh carol) and she told me you left that night. =(
i guess the best thing about the internet is that i’ll still get to know how you’re doing in nyc yo! so super totally jealous.
bet you’ll be thoroughly americanised by next summer! take care, su ann…God bless!
14. Voon | August 27th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
hey u have super fast internet right? we could do a high speed cross atlantic film exchange =)
15. nickie | August 27th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
really excited for you and your new life in ny!! :) all the best !!
ATT is good, i liked it so far. :)
have you been following the US politics? both the clintons gave awesome speech!! i have a sudden urge to change field and go into politics wtf.. aih my statement is not coming along so well.
anyways, eat healthy k! :)
16. grace | August 27th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
haha. incidentally there was an article today in the ny times about foreigners adapting to life in new york.
yeah it felt a bit awkward too when i came to nyu last year; took a while to get the hang of the gazillion accents around me and all that new yawk jargon. but if you can stick it out for at least 9 months you’re HOME FREE!!!
17. Ping | August 27th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
glad to know you reach in NY safe and sound, and best part is that martian traveled with you! have a great time in NY~
18. grace | August 27th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
oh, and:
1. getting around very easy wan, esp since almost all streets in manhattan are numbered (unless you are a bit strange and live in the financial district like i do :/) if you take the subway continuously for like a month you’ll get used to it for sure.
2. if all else fails try hopstop.com for VERY comprehensive directions :)
3. check if at&t is an affiliate of columbia! you might get a discount on your next bill.
4. yucks, times sq very dirty right? go visit some museums for a breath of fresh air :D
19. EVo | August 27th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Well let’s hope ur blog don’t get too foreign sounding for those who’re too used to the lah-s and mah-s! hehe.
Looking forward to hearing more on your happenings there.
Hmm..wonder how much it costs for me to courier maggi cup noodles there..ain’t cheap, but hey, noodles r light…kekeke.
20. chin | August 27th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
su ann..i’m so happy to hear u are settling well. reading ur post just makes my day!! hehe.
21. sieutheng | August 27th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
bah, dun forget to send me a postcard!!!!!!
22. kimberlycun | August 27th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
i miss you LSA! take care you’ll do great!
23. davidlian | August 27th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Hey… glad you made it there safe. You’re really where I can only dream of going. :)
24. reallybites | August 27th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
i wanna see picturesssssss
25. KY | August 27th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Don’t be so modest davidlian! You’ve been to GOLD COAST ok!
26. Gin | August 27th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
EHEHE. i know u miss me. EHEHEHE
27. daphne | August 28th, 2008 at 12:05 am
sounds like you’re having so much fun, yay! :)
28. wenqi | August 28th, 2008 at 12:21 am
haih.. why i never see u online wan… :(
29. chimpanzee | August 28th, 2008 at 12:22 am
glad to hear from you from the states.martian is such a good boyfriend :) and dont forget to snap more photos to show us.take care…
30. sheon | August 28th, 2008 at 12:23 am
:))))))) so sweet of martian.
glad you’re adapting well in the states.
ok, got your mailing address. will send you some junk when i’m free. hehhehehe
31. kreazi | August 28th, 2008 at 12:44 am
Finally got news from you! And what lar you.. got extra 20kg also never fully utilise? I would have packed my smelly pillow (first priority) and lots of indomie!!! Hey, take care over there, su ann! Glad to hear that you’re enjoying it there!
32. jocelyn | August 28th, 2008 at 12:44 am
hey! do you get to buy pods and tim tam in NY?
33. ShaolinTiger | August 28th, 2008 at 1:24 am
We miss youuuuu! Missed you leaving, just got back yesterday afternoon.
Hope you get used to the language soon, go eat some hotdogs, bagels and other classic NY street foods :D
Surprised they know so much about Malaysia though…are they Americans :P And yeah the Malays aren’t indigenous so the girl is right!
34. joyce | August 28th, 2008 at 1:28 am
hi! i just stumbled upon your blog not too long ago. congrats for making it to columbia! glad to hear that you’re slowly adapting to the life in NYC.
oh and by the way, i’m going to apply to columbia for next fall and i was wondering whether the online form regards ‘high school’ as our secondary school or college?
your help is much appreciated.
take care!
35. joisle | August 28th, 2008 at 1:55 am
I’m actually really excited to hear about ur coming days in NYC.
Enjoy, as i’m sure u will.
Take care
a random reader
36. King | August 28th, 2008 at 2:00 am
only Anwar(Pakatan Rakyat) can save M’sia!
37. Jessica | August 28th, 2008 at 2:07 am
Hi Su Ann,
We would like to send you the warmest wishes from us all here at Hallmark :) All the best in everything you do!!
38. HK | August 28th, 2008 at 2:29 am
what.. martian went with you! makes me want such rosyness in my life too. /emo
39. Michelle | August 28th, 2008 at 3:59 am
I’ve been waiting for this post like mad you know!!! Haha. I’m not surprised at all if Anwar is quite popular . In Australia, he is a notable person. Really, in Australia newspapers, they will have a big section featuring Anwar at times. For Mahathir, he gets only a small column. Tee hee.
40. melissa | August 28th, 2008 at 4:18 am
y’ello pinkpau! am very glad you’re having such a ball in New York, when you get homesick don’t call home, use Skype cos it’s free okay! And at least you can have 2-D conversations.
don’t OD on maggi though, go um well explore where you are now cos it’s so fantabulously awesome that you’ve got that chance, I would love to be able to study in NY! But most likely am bound for the UK, shall see what awaits me there.
anyhow, lots of love from a(nother) random reader from a random boarding school in mantin! :)
41. Sam | August 28th, 2008 at 4:30 am
NY sounds pretty cool =P I can imagine you fitting right in already!!!
42. TheRealAnonymous | August 28th, 2008 at 4:35 am
HEyyaaaaaaaaaa… how’re things there huh? Got start to miss me anot? I got my new car today!!!!!!! =)
Anywayz, sorry I couldn’t meet up wif u AGAIN before u left. =p I tried calling to ask u whut time wuz ur flight… haha. But I was pretty tied up at work also laaa… sorry again. =)
Gonna miss havin’ u around… although we don’t hang out as much. I miss having have the option of calling u out. hahaha… am i even making any sense? LoL…
Enjoy urself there yo!
43. naz | August 28th, 2008 at 4:45 am
good to hear everything is ok for u there.
be good now ok? *wink*
44. Kevin | August 28th, 2008 at 5:06 am
Oh well, you’ll learn not to convert soon enough hahaha, cabs in the U.S is generally expensive la..even in Wichita, it’s like a quarter for 1/7th mile and a $2 or $3 for flag-down.
Learn the sub-way system..it ain’t too hard =)
45. pac-man | August 28th, 2008 at 5:24 am
You should do a Ted and correct everyone who says Kleenex instead of facial tissue. ;)
46. da | August 28th, 2008 at 5:25 am
hahaha! i cant agree more with kevin when he says that u’ll learn not to convert soon enough..=p so true..=) enjoy new york! u’ll settle down fine..it take a bit of time to get used to everything but once class starts, it’ll be a breeze and before u know it, u’ll be back home! for holidays i hope..=) take care and have fun! cant wait to read all about your new life there.. *hugz*
47. carol | August 28th, 2008 at 6:16 am
hellloooooooo
the subways will start making sense soon =)) and hop on a family plan with me!!!
and YAH i can totally relate to the whole jargon thingy… i found myself saying “can you pop the trunk for me please” to my american cousin =.=
http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/nyregion/27arrival.html&OQ=_rQ3D2Q26emQ26orefQ3Dslogin&OP=6d3b1d21Q2F6D(E6Q3CQ60d4qQ60Q60XC6CssQ516sQ516CQ3F6eQ5Cq(PxQ60e6CQ3F1qqxQ251-Q5BQ7EXt- is the link that grace was talking about.
hugs and see you in a bit!
48. carol | August 28th, 2008 at 6:36 am
http://tinyurl.com/6fb7zl oops nah shorter url :)
49. joiz3 | August 28th, 2008 at 6:51 am
aaah! everything sounds so absolutely exciting. =) btw i just saw your handwriting on kenny’s blog. gotta love it. heee. cute. xD
50. floojo | August 28th, 2008 at 7:10 am
hello. just another random reader of your blog. ny sounds like fun there.
LOL.
“i’m tired of this shit”
take care :)
51. pinkshirtz | August 28th, 2008 at 8:13 am
You”re finally there. From the time when u were screening for colleges until now, you’ve come a long long way! Congrats and i wish u good luck there! BTW, stop converting the currency! It’ll stop u from thinking straight. Just look at the number n compare. You might end wup with hysteria if u don’t! X)
52. valisha | August 28th, 2008 at 8:44 am
nice to hear that you’re enjoying your time there =) can i know where did u get egg mcmuffin from? i really like it, it’s so cute XD
53. grace | August 28th, 2008 at 8:45 am
haha carol!!
you got so much time to read everyone’s comments ar? nice of you to post a link to city fits. so true rite the article.
54. esil3 | August 28th, 2008 at 9:09 am
When I went over to the USA for my studies, I made the mistake of listening to my mom. She told me to bring more clothes and I took it literally! I didn’t wear half of it I think, then I had to lug everything back again.
So, don’t worry about not bringing more stuff, because you’ll definitely be making several purchases and won’t be missing all your stuff (well, clothes/shoes wise, that is).
Good luck at NYU, make the most of it :)
55. esil3 | August 28th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Wow I swear I totally meant to say Columbia =X I saw New York and I just typed NYU… Oops.
56. smartypants | August 28th, 2008 at 9:23 am
mitchelle is good, obama shdl be better tonite. check out youtube his 2004 dnc speech when he made his mark. there are claims now that he is lost without a teleprompter. i notice that many americans, politicians esp are great orators. even, the majority of ordinary folks that i run into speak well! pls note, i’m not idolizing americans, just giving credit when it’s due..
p/s
our ‘takeaway’ is their ‘takeout’, when things are ready they say “you are good to go”, hardly a simple ‘yes’ always a passionately ‘absolutely’ and “have a good one !” is good for all partings! you’ll learn by and by.. enjoy!
57. Tim | August 28th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Woo very impressed with them knowing about our politics (not sure our govt would be as happy). I can’t point out Venezuela on a map either :(
58. RealGunners | August 28th, 2008 at 9:34 am
u’re staying in Broadway!!
59. beebee | August 28th, 2008 at 9:45 am
woots. NY seems fun. i’m currently watching episodes and episodes of Sex and the city and NY seems like such a cool place to be in =D do visit the upper east side!
xoxo,
Gossip Girl =D
60. cooknengr | August 28th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Remember now, if you crave for Malaysia food, the best Malaysian restaurant in the US is here in L.A., the Belacan Grill….
61. Vanessa | August 28th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Your first post from NYC..
Good to know that you are doing fine over there, take good care of urself ya~ =)
62. jeremy lee | August 28th, 2008 at 11:16 am
yeah dorm food is whack, it’s always been like that… move out asap before it’s too late… but it’s a good place to start off though… more social interaction…
…and alot of freshmen :D
anyways… hope you enjoy the states… NYC babay!
btw… t-mobile sucks ass in the suburbs of NY… trust me… verizon or at&t where you are…
63. pik | August 28th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Cabs are no fun! and theres actually a lot of stores downtown, queens, and brooklyn that sells maggi, mi goreng etc. just gotta know how where. Columbia is a good school, have fun! grats!
you’ll like ny. lived there 3 years downtown. oh yah, just don’t cross 116 st. just dont.
ps- linked through kenny. NEYO party by access. i can get ya tickets if ya need.
64. ashley | August 28th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
hey, love ur NY post. do blog more =). i love reading ur blog posts. btw, where can i get an egg mcmuffin? it look so cute! do take care in NY!
65. chareli | August 28th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
send the big apple my love!
take care and blog!
hahaha. =)
66. Kiran | August 28th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
hi there!
love your blog.. welcome to usa. i am a malaysian, currently in Orlando FL. i know you would love NYC. enjoy your stay and take care. hope to bump into each other in near future.
67. clem | August 28th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
glad everything’s fine there. maybe you can catch Mamma Mia on Broadway too on my behalf :P
68. pinkpau | August 28th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
cK : yaaaa :( nevermind i will be patient!!
icednyior : i will :D
yosie : no i dont think so.. even americans studying here who came from other states say kleenex.
linda : SO BAD T____T
jessica k : haha it gets funnier!! that guy’s a real comic
anonymous : yes i’ve been looking at some of the asian stores, and there’s lots of diff instant noodles though not maggi. so i’m happy :D
ria : but the dining hall food is really so crap =( well ok maybe it’s not crappy.. it’s just not my kinda food. i’m not really a sandwich person, but all they have here are sandwiches and salad!
waifon : hahaha ya i cracked up reading that. hehe ok i will buy some manolos and then tell my dad u made me do it
edna : thank u so much! :)
iamthewitch : i will when i have the time to! been so busy running up and down, and when i have free time i just want to collapse on my bed =(
jennifer : hehe thank u. will update of course!
jasmine : you mean you wanted to come here and study? why didnt you?
lishun : omg like, i fear the day that like, i come back talking like that. it will be like sooooo ridiculoussss (and i say all this in that nasally twang!)
voon : haha i think it’s illegal here in the states T___T
nickie : i didnt watch the clintons’ speeches, but i did watch michelle obama’s! very touching
grace : let’s please meet up one day!!! we can go shopping or food hunting :D hey but seriously.. do you know NY very well after staying a year? it’s like so complex. i dont think i’ll ever be able to be familiar with NY wholly O_O
ping : haha yes i didnt even have to force him to come with me.
grace : hey thank you for hopstop! and no i dont think at&T is an affiliate :\ eh times sq not that dirty wat. but i realized that new york smells like dog pee almost everywhere :P
evo : haha my blog content will change to become more personal now that i will have a lot of time to think and reflect. but that’s a good thing. gasp are you saying you want to courier me instant noodles?! *excited
chin : and reading ur nice comment makes my day! :D
sieutheng : eh u know right, i actually know ur address by heart. i had this form where i had to put the names and contact info of two friends who can vouch for my existence in malaysia, and hand it in asap. so i just put yours and aira’s old house. hahaha ok i send u a cute postcard
kimberlycun : i miss u too kimberlycun T___T
davidlian : hahahaha KY’s comment damn funny
reallybites : SOOOON! eh u get the book oredi anot
ky : hahaha yalar this david over humble oredi
gin : ya memang :(
daphne : calm before the storm, maybe? haih okok i shouldnt say things like that
wenqi : i also never see u online :( see ur boss but dun see u
chimpanzee : haha dun feed his ego!!! but yes lah he’s a very good bf :) when he’s not picking fights with me, that is /hmph
sheon : REALLY AH!
kreazi : i didnt know i would have so much extra :( i didnt really weigh some of my luggage. only weighed the biggest one.
jocelyn : i dont know about timtams, but i believe pods are only available in australia!
shaolintiger : i miss you guys tooooo :( eh i havent eaten hot dogs, bagels or pretzels yet. but i have had pizza! it’s yummy! but damn greasy. yeah they are americans! huh malays not indigenous meh.. oh wait that’s orang asli.. WTF O_O *slaps self
joyce : you’re applying here? fantastic :) drop me an email if you want me to help review your essay or application! i believe on the forms they say ’secondary school report’, and that can be either your Pre-U or your high school, depending on how you want to tweak it to make your application better. i would recommend showing them more stuff so that you look more qualified - so what you can do is put your high school and SPM results in ’secondary school report’, then your pre-u / alvls / IB results in ‘mid year report’. that’s how i did it, and also how most people do it
joisle : thank u :) i am excited to explore NYC too
king : haha yes well. i guess he’s the best option that we have for now.
jessica : thank u so much jess :)) i was just going to write you an email. wait for it ah!
hk : hahahha you just want the extra luggage allowance :P
michelle : HAHAHA FOR REAL? aiyo this anwar. he’s just doing all the right stuff at the right time.
melissa : actually right.. my nokia phone has this thingy which uses 3G to make free calls to other 3G-supported nokia phones!!! i must figure out how to download it into martian’s phone, then we can have free phone-to-phone calls whereever and whenever! :D ooh where in the UK are u studying?
sam : hahaha i love it here so far :)
therealanon : there is always MSN!!
naz : i will ! *wink back
kevin : IT DOESNT MAKE SENSE TO NOT CONVERT T___T of course you must convert if you are earning in ringgit!!!
pacman : what’s a ‘ted’?
da : zomg but not converting just doesnt make sense T___T i cant wait for classes to start actually .. :D
carol : eh eh for real? what carrier do you use? imma email you now! oh and thanks for the link :D (wtf i just opened my inbox to mail you and it looks like you already mailed me hahahaha)
joiz3 : hahaha! but the egg mcmuffin is cuter right
floojo : yes NY (what little i’ve seen of it) has been great so far :)
pinkshirtz : yesssss omg that time feels like so long ago.. cannot cannot of course must convert T___T it doesnt make sense to not convert!!!
valisha : i left a detailed comment on kenny’s blog! i got it from this colorful toy shop (actually, a stand) that’s on the same side as Famous Amos. so basically you either go up a floor or down a floor, or maybe two floors. it’s exactly where famos amos is, but on another floor.
esil3 : HAHAHA MY MOM DID THE SAME THING. she damn funny, gave me this really big woolly blanket and insisted i bring it there. i was like O_____O
smartypants : haha yes i know about the takeout thing. now im just wondering how to say mineral water.. is it bottled water? mineral water? water?
tim : you know what i said to her T____T i said “oh your country has a lot of beauty queens right” zomg damn stupid.
realgunners : broadway is a realllllly long road so lots of people live on broadway :P
beebee : GOSSIP GIRL IS COMING BACK SOON!!!! check out my plurk, i posted a link to the preview of the first episode. here in NY, the ads for the second season are EVERYWHERE
cooknengr : LA.. so far away from me :( totally opposite end of the country
vanessa : i will, thank you :))
jeremy lee : eh actually i like staying in dorms! nice wat. what’s so cool about freshmen! ya i was told about tmobile, and so i’m going to go for at&T cos verizon doesnt use sim cards and i wanna keep using my nokia (what is up with american cellphones……)
pik : what do u mean dont cross 116th? that’s exactly where my school is!! and i have been crossing the road like almost everyday!! T___T what is neyo party? do you mean neyo the hip hop artist?
ashley : wait ah let me copy and paste my earlier comment for you. ” i got it from this colorful toy shop (actually, a stand) that’s on the same side as Famous Amos. so basically you either go up a floor or down a floor, or maybe two floors. it’s exactly where famos amos is, but on another floor.”
chareli : haha i will :D
kiran : oh yes do drop me an email if you’re ever in NY ! :)
clem : martian wanted to watch that! but i want to watch the little mermaid….. /eyes
69. cooknengr | August 28th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Forgot to mention, if you can pick up the difference in usage of the English language used in America , the intonation and the lingo within a week of arrival, I am pretty sure you’ll be speaking with the American accent really quick. . Living in the dorm is great, I lived in the dorm for 4 years to make friends with Angmoh and learning the language and culture. Good Luck!
70. Artificially Timtam | August 28th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Hello from Århus, Denmark. Wah lau… ur damn lucky that ppl know of Malaysian politics… I’ve talked to one guy who was like… Malaysia, that’s in China right? and another who was like… Oh so you study in Singapore, that’s the capital of Malaysia right? and the best one was this Indian guy who pointed at my nametag which had my name and flag (Malaysia)… and he went. Oh so you’re from Japan? Wtf…
(the rest in gmail)
71. smartypants | August 28th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
@ 70
hahaha..feel sorry for “them’ so limited knowledge abt asia. probably the difference is the ppl u talked to? pinkpau talked to a bunch of cool ppl from a highly political active/conscious college.
72. Michelle | August 28th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Yep, because moving to a new environment always triggers us to write something down. :)
73. cheryl | August 28th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
enjoy urself there pinkpau.
wow, it must have been an excited journey to be in your shoes now. take care :)
74. sylvia | August 28th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Glad to know everything ok with u. Take good care of yourself. Miss U Su Ann.
75. chm | August 28th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
iliad…beautiful book… 1 us 2 courier roti canai wif dhal n curry in lil packets 2? :P
76. skyler | August 28th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
WHO IS THIS ROBOT GUY CAN HE MARRY ME!!!!
77. entwined | August 28th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
hello! :D sounds exciting! :D can’t wait for your future posts :)
78. louise | August 28th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Hey Su Ann,
Have been reading your blog for a long time, haven’t had the chance to post a comment.
I’m glad you’re alright in NYC, I was just there last year, you’ll have a ball, don’t stress too much ;)
Take care!
79. shin | August 29th, 2008 at 12:06 am
hi, saw your blog in kenny’s and decided to check it out.. you probably could get some maggie from chinatown :D or else better ones than maggie =p
i am malaysia student in oklahoma but i’ve never been to NY, planned to visit NY this coming xmas but everythings seem expensive now so decided to call it off:( maybe next summer then hehe
i am looking forward to see some pics :D
80. melissa | August 29th, 2008 at 4:02 am
oo coolies. technology still befuddles me and I always abuse the fact that I’m Sarawakian as an excuse. I didn’t know how to work a DVD player till 2006. T.T so.. I shan’t think of 3G calling just yet hahah.
am applying for oxford, imperial, UCL, edinburgh and durham. *fingers crossed* but anyhow I won’t get there till september of next year. so. mm. a very long while to wait in boarding school.
81. sieutheng | August 29th, 2008 at 4:27 am
woah i’m so freaking touched. u sure its the correct address? =p
82. themilkyland.blogspot | August 29th, 2008 at 8:57 am
hi! glad you are doing well there. miss your writing, miss you. show us some pics yea.
i’m sure ur new friends will be interested in your blog as well :P
83. Thai | August 29th, 2008 at 9:33 am
In short, it just mean Malaysians are shallow, lack of depth. No topic can come to mind coz they are stupid.
84. kiasu andrew | August 29th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
your aunt damn cool okay i want someone to drive me from ny to philly too :(
85. winnie | August 29th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
i’ve been a loyal reader of your blog for some time, but i’ve never commented till now, and i must say that i adore the way you write!
have fun in New York!
/sends nasi lemak packets over
86. nyuk | August 29th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Take care Su Ann!! :D You will have so much fun! now we are only one atlantic sea apart !
87. johnleemk | August 29th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
WTF, they have people in Columbia who know what Malaysia is? Damn it, I chose the wrong Ivy.
88. carol | August 29th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
john: hahahahahahhahahaha. and summore know permatang pauh okay haha.
yah i always have to pull out the “north of singapore, south of thailand” line too. it sucks :(
89. yerdeh | August 29th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
I am entirely jealous! Oh, to be 18 and on the cusp of a new adventure :)
90. michellesy | August 30th, 2008 at 12:14 am
Hi Su Ann, glad to hear you’re settling in at Columbia.
And yes, it’s nice to have Martian along as well - a piece of home with you?
Take care now, and we’ll all agog to hear about Su Ann In The Big Apple =)
91. tom | August 30th, 2008 at 6:29 am
reason why you have apple for food in dining hall is because you are in BIG APPLE!! -___- ok…
have fun in NYC!…
92. hong (jen) | August 30th, 2008 at 8:57 am
hi ;)
not all americans speak like what you hear in NY, when you move south theres a different accent =] and people in California too.. lol.. they have a totally different way of talking i think just depends on where you are i guess =x
and i also never say - kleenex - i find that a bit weird..
and for water… you just say can i get a bottle of water or a cup of water or just plain can i get water? =]
if i ever visit NY — please take mee around ^____^!! maybe next year ;O
do you have facebook?? can i add you?
93. Agnes | August 30th, 2008 at 9:25 am
awww have fun darling~ you’ll get use to the life there and have heaps of fun u wouldn’t wanna come back Malaysia T_______T…
94. miss.cc | August 30th, 2008 at 9:33 am
hi su ann, good to know that u’re settling down! do they only sell kleenex for tissue? perhaps u’re going to add ‘like’ to some sentences in your future posts. or maybe even other american lingo :P
95. what it do?? | August 30th, 2008 at 11:42 am
hey there pinkpau
whats it like in new york city?
im a thousand miles away
but girl, tonight you look so pretty
yes you do
times Square can’t shine as bright as you
i swear it’s true
96. Samantha Poh | August 30th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
miSsh u!
97. Lucy | August 30th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
you’ve just tempted me..I literally just made myself a bowl of maggi :) british food is soo bland..
98. pinkshirtz | August 30th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
haha … must make an assumption of dollar to dollar. Cannot askyik convert or else you’ll grow really thin then! Bwhaha …
99. wyung | August 31st, 2008 at 11:58 am
hey,pink and the pao…hehe. been visiting ur blog for quite sometime but this should be the 1st comment that i’ve posted on ur blog. :)
yeap..canot always convert to rm..u’ll end up neva makan anything. probably morning some..bread with kaya. then lunch mayb at cafeteria on campus (once a while la ha)..then dinner DIY :)
thats what i’m doin now at perth :P
the aussie gov are kinda strict with their food regulations…even instand noodles..they will koyak..then ask u..whatz this for? (the seasoning packet) *sien
hav to get it here from the oriental store. no choice..aud2.20 for 5 packs of maggi :P
anyways, its good to have tons of people at here wishing u and to give moral support while u’re studyin at there.
100. singaporean | August 31st, 2008 at 1:39 pm
whoa. it’s been a long time since i visited your blog again. and youre in new york already! hope everything goes well for you. Good luck over there.
101. narrowband | September 3rd, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I’m so looking forward to pics of the big apple. And I’m very happy to hear you’re settling down well!
On reading up on Venezuelan politics - haha good one! Take good care :)
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed