djkr and friends take on Life

it seems singapore is in a tizzy over swine flu. friends, parents, ntu, parents, the government and did i mention parents? have been sending out media report over media report, email after email and call after call warning us to 1) wear a mask whereever we go 2) stay away from crowded areas 3) don’t eat pork. you know it is really serious when ntu sends you an email offering to immediately transfer our current academic transcripts back home if you want to fly back this moment.

in san diego, at the front lines of this pandemic, everything is OK. yes you heard it from me folks.everything is OK. there are no cdc officers walking the streets wearing bio hazard suits. no zombie pigs chewing human brains. the city is not infected with fatigue laden, coughing and wheezing biological dangerous organisms. in fact, if you wore a mask walking around, people would probably think you were a terrorist. while it is true that arnold has declared a state of medical emergency in california (due to the cases here thus far), it thus not mean it is time to panic. our san diegan friend says he only did that for more flexiblity if the need ever arises.

it is also impractical to stay away from crowded areas. what am i going do on exchange? hide in my home till my time in US is up? san diego state is teeming with 33,000 other individuals. i can run but i can’t hide from every single one.

so everybody back home relax. i understand your concern and i thank you for it. now excuse me while i go eat my pork chop.

san francisco, yosemite, eureka, eugene, portland, seattle, vancouver

san diego zoo, san diego wild animal park

santa monica, los angeles, hollywood

it all seems like a daze, the time that has gone by. soon we will be leaving this quaint little city of san diego.

spring break, we headed up the north west. san francisco was beautiful; with the everlasting golden gate bridge as a backdrop.  yosemite and its towering mountain valleys. we had a small mishap near crescent city. we stopped for barely 4 hours in portland, but yet i fell in love with the city. seattle and the first starbucks in the world. vancouver, where we had the good fortune to eat at a top class restaurant and visit stanley park. and then back to san diego.

the singapore zoo is said to be modelled after the san diego zoo and i can see clearly why.  san diego’s wild animal park is a brilliant concept by the san diego zoo, bringing a part of africa to america.

2 hours north of san diego, lies the bustling city of LA. yet for all its glitz and glamour showcased in the television dramas we eagerly consumed, the city itself seems like an sea shell. beautiful and shiny on the outside, yet empty and lacking soul. santa monica on the other hand, was a beautiful beach city, uptown yet laidback.

and now i am at the end of it all, what will i bring home?

all these memories. hoping they will not fade like tears in the rain.

every passing minute is a another chance to turn it all around

as i am busy with essays, here is the LONG overdue vegas and grand canyon entry w/o text.