i had a mini meltdown earlier today because despite trying so hard, i just couldn’t get the hang of calculus. it’s already been three weeks of class and i still have so much trouble with the work. the lecturer is a nice guy, but he just wasn’t born to teach. i feel a lot of sympathy for him because he’s so unpopular with the classroom, but i feel a lot more sympathy for myself when i look at all the problem sets i have to complete by the weekend. the questions are probably not very difficult, i’m just such an idiot when it comes to math. i’ve been at this all evening, and i still haven’t budged from the one page i started at.
heart rate after 42 minutes = 68.5 bpm? it took me an hour to read and understand what i had to do, and another hour trying to figure it out, before i finally got songjun to help me with it. even then, we both couldnt really be sure of the answer.
god i hate math so much.
and the guy who wrote my textbook should be shot, because it’s the worst and most incomprehensible textbook i’ve ever come across.
i never thought i’d say this, but add math is so much easier in comparison. especially when you have a good textbook, a good teacher, a good tutor and Aira.
sigh. things like calculus make me wish i was back home, far away from evil things like limits and secants and logarithms. but i guess i simply have to keep reminding myself that homework is just homework, and is a very small part of my new life here. i dont want to cry over calculus ever again.
a politician makes racist remarks, calling all chinese in Malaysia squatters and akin to ‘American Jews’, and upon causing an outcry refuses to apologize, saying that he did no wrong… is allowed to walk free with nothing but a mere 3-year suspension from UMNO.
but a journalist, who first picked up on the news and reported it, was detained under the ISA today. article here.
the Internal Security Act (ISA) is a form of detention without trial, for a maximum of 2 years, but this period of 2 years can be renewed indefinitely. a detainee is held incommunicado for the first 60 days and is allowed no contact with the outside world, be it family or legal representatives. it is a blatant abuse of basic human rights, and a convenient tool for the government to shut up anyone who’s saying anything that they dont like.
there is something very, very, very wrong if a POLITICIAN who makes RACIST STATEMENTS AND THREATS is protected by the law.
i woke up today to many long emails in my inbox, from friends and strangers alike, all offering encouragement, support and their own LDR success stories, following my comments-off post from yesterday. even till now the mails are still coming in. thank you :) i’m feeling so much better and a lot less lonely now. you all are so cool!
i loved reading the success stories the best, many of them about long years apart and finally ending in marriage, or high school sweethearts who are still together to this day. stories like these fill me with so much hope and encouragement. and it’s always so interesting to hear how different couples have navigated the arduous LDR process! webcams and skype are everyone’s best friend, it seems :D
today was a good day and i was kept reasonably busy. got caught in a sudden downpour at one point and missed a class because it was all the way at the other end of campus and i didnt have an umbrella. all my books got wet too :( i cant wait to go umbrella shopping and buy the cutest umbrella there is. and a pair of colorful wellingtons to splosh around in!
i also signed up to tryout for the Parliamentary Debate team here at college.. but i’m not sure yet if i like the american parliamentary style. it’s two-a-side and the opposition is unaware of the motion until the government start speaking. it’s a challenging format that displays excellent rhetoric, but at the expense of structure and in some cases, substance. oh wells, i will give it a shot anyway :) i’m going to be in my element because talking fast (something that i always gravitate towards despite harsh rebuke from previous trainers) in american parli is a good thing, but i already foresee myself having a big problem talking fast without segueing into Manglish. over here, they dont understand me when i speak with a Malaysian accent :( speaking in an American accent is fine, but it can be tiring. i dont know if i’m up to debating in a whole new accent..
and after a lot of thought, i decided not to write for any papers. i’m also going to do some form of dance, but i’m not sure which. either that or figure skating. or maybe equestrian. and i also signed up for the surfing club, hahaha! there’s no Malaysian club here so i joined the South East Asian League. oh and the Singaporean Club had a durian at their booth!!! i squealed and tried to eat it.
i also meant to take some photos of my campus to show, but the skies were so gloomy today. so, another time maybe. but for now i will show you pictures of Times Square!! it’s an amazing place with so much to see and do, and i will definitely be blogging more about Times Square when i have the chance to explore all its nooks and crannies!
#1 one of those ubiquitous hot dog stands
#2 hot dog with relish, kraut, ketchup and onions! yummm :D
#3 we went to watch Little Mermaid the Musical on Broadway. sigh! see my excited face!! i am swooning just recalling it. it is an excellent musical and adaptation of the Disney movie. trust me when i say the story is better than in the movie. and i say this despite the movie being my favorite Disney show of all time. will blog more about this soon, or maybe after i’ve watched a few more Broadway shows
#4 Times Square at night
#5 posing ala deodarant!
#6 this guy and his bunch of friends saw me doing that and started imitating me in their own photos. hahaha so funny. so i snapped a pic of him!
#7 and then we took a photo together!
#8 me and Martian :) stupid Bank of America sign bleached the whole photo red.
#9 in Times Square, even the subway station is lit up with neon signs..
#10 as well as the McDonalds!! even the police station here is done up in neon signs.
#11 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ^_________^
#12 Martian made me do this -_- apparently because i pout a lot in photos. YA MEH WHERE GOT
#13 ‘The TShirt’. only as common as the phrase “New York, New York”
#14 this spray paint artist (among many others) was doing such an amazing job. that piece of work on the table was done solely using spray cans, some round covers for the planets and a little piece of cardboard that he used to ’scrape’ out the outline of the buildings. so talented
#15 while we were watching the artist, suddenly all these cops started running past us O_O and running VERY quickly too! our first NYPD-in-action sighting!!! besides the men on foot, several cop cars quickly blocked all traffic at the intersection. just to nab this one woman in a tight black dress and heels. i was so impressed that they actually caught her! the above photo is them shoving her into their vehicle. i’m so curious to know what she did…
#16 back to being happy after the NYPD action was over
#17 i seriously wonder how much it costs to place an ad on that tall skinny building in the middle
#18 a totally accidental pose, i swear!!! Martian’s just very good at capturing moments
#19 but i’m better :D my favorite photo of the night.
okay gotta go! have to finish Italian homework. folks back home, please eat some mooncake for me!
Pinkpau is Su Ann. 19, Malaysia. Hostile when hungry. Sometimes a shapeshifter, always an optimist with a penchant for pessimism and shoe-shopping. More?
Contact at : pinkpau[at]gmail[dot]com
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