You never know when it's the last time you do something, until it is too late.

SO that was some pretty awesome three-month rest.

Lyn says I am busy for a jobless person.. Haha. I am (was), indeed!

Germany

For the first two weeks I actually went for a holiday with Jer to Germany. That was really an ADVENTURE. It all started last year when Ain just texted me to say there's a promotion going on for Lufthansa, so I just booked the tickets the same day. I probably have already decided on leaving the blood bank then.

I then told Jer, who was pretty depressed that day due to work stress, that I am quitting my job and planning for my trip to Germany. And she said she wants to join me and go Germany! Booked her tickets as well within the same hour, I think. No wonder I love her.

So.. that went well.


March was supposedly the start of Spring, but the temperature was still -5 to 0 degrees in Germany. And somehow we got hit by blizzard during out stop-over in Frankfurt, and our connecting flight got cancelled.

How exciting right?!

All I could think of at that time was how lucky I am that Jer is around with me :))

We had to either wait for 10 hours for the next flight, or switch our flight to a train to get to Tubingen. We decided to take the train, cos' we were freezing and we don't want to stay in the airport for so long!

Turns out we did have to stay in the airport for quite some time still, because they decided to transfer our baggage to the next FLIGHT, when we already told them that we are taking the train. Which resulted in us waiting by the belt and running around the airport/train station for more than 6 hours to get our luggage.

I concluded after the trip that Frankfurt might not belong to Germany because they absolutely do not have the qualities that fits the German image. Late trains, cancelled flights, wrong platforms, careless and inefficient service. This is not Germany.

It was fortunate (or not) that we took the train because the subsequent flight also got cancelled!

We finally reached Tubingen at 5pm, instead of 9am. Super tired from all the dramas, but still have enough energy to get my BB prepaid and some H&M shopping!!


The rest of the trip was really fun, although traveling did take a toll on our bodies and half the time we were really cold and grumpy. But nothing beats meeting up with a friend studying overseas, and walking along new streets in a new city/country.

First snow experience! view from Ain's window.

Ritter Sport Museum at Stuttgart

Visited the famous Disney castle, Schloss Neuschwanstein, in Schwangau

Munich City

Got lost in the humongous Englischer Garten, Munich.

Englischer Garten

Englischer Garten

Pictures taken from a viewing tower in Munich.

Berlin's Brandenburg Gate

In the middle of the Holocaust Memorial, Berlin

Not forgetting the Berlin wall!

 

Visited the East Side Gallery, another part of the Berlin Wall.

First Snowman! :)

Also went to the wealthy Hamburg city!

Visited the grand Hohenzollern Castle in Stuttgart, the only castle still owned by the Hohenzollern family.

And that's a nice picture of the three of us at Hohenzollern!

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BABY-SITTING

After the trip, I just bummed around at home. And a few days later, I started babysitting for my pregnant sister. It was so enjoyable playing with my niece! Good practice for the future too, haha.

I mean I used to always think some moms are really crazy that they can differentiate what the baby wants. Cos' the baby is just going like "meh meh meh." or "maaa maa ma maaaaa", and they will go "OH..She is very hungry. She is asking you to feed her milk now".

I mean, what are the possibilities that your baby wants you to cook chicken rice for her?! of course it's either she's hungry or sleepy or uncomfortable right?!  The sounds that they make all just sound the same to me lor.


BUT, after a few weeks with her, hahaaha....I can really tell what she wants, or what she is trying to say. Or at least I think I do.  She just go "shhh shhh shhh", and  I know she wants me to sing Wheels on the Bus. Or she will go "daaahhhhh" meaning Twinkle twinkle little star. Or "shhherrrr" meaning Treasure!

Like how freaky is this! And I am pretty sure it doesn't mean anything if she says this to other people cos' it is really just baby talk.

But yeah, OK, I get it, have to reserve my judgement next time when I see babies go "bababa" and the mom goes "daddy please go and get some barley for her, she wants to drink barley, hot one,without barley, no ice "

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TUITION
Started tutoring again! It is damn far lor. But I think I kinda like traveling around different parts of Singapore, often, just for the fun of it and familiarizing myself.

Sometimes I feel like I don't really know Singapore, cos' just a few months ago I still though Pasir Panjang is near Bukit Panjang. SIGH............

But yeah! Tutoring is good practice for future too! And it is really quite fun =D

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I took up Spanish with Nicole!!  HOLA! ¿Cómo estás?

It actually started in Germany when we met a Spanish girl and a Mexican girl in Munich, and I was discussing with Jer the language we would want to learn if we have the time, and we both agreed on Spanish! (of course she have already learned Japanese, so Spanish is after Japanese for her)

German is just too difficult for me, and it just sounds nicer, than speaking it.

And somehow, fate or destiny caught up, and Nic texted me to see if I am interested to learn a new language.

Awesome...

So.. yar lor, español it is! Getting really confusing these few weeks! I wouldn't be able to understand if i watch a show in spanish for sure, haha. It would be awesome if i could stay in Spain or S.America to just live IN the language. :)

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DRIVING! 

Like for goodness-sake, finally!

I had to go for an eye test (due to my lazy eye) just to apply for a PDL. 

The first time I wanted to learn was before I went to UQ, and I failed the test immediately cos' they require me to have a doctor's letter. 

Like OMG. ultimate fail, you all can not win me. It's not even the basic theory yet, and I failed the APPLICATION process. Bet you guys didn't know you can fail even before applying, haha!

So the 2nd time was this year. I already got my doctor's letter from NUH eye clinic when I was still working in NUH. But this time, BBDC said that the letter must be written within 3 months, and they actually want to see "fit for driving" in the letter. My doctor wrote "eye sight is good". Not good enough for BBDC apparently, Sigh!

SO.. I had to go and see the eye doctor again, get her to write "fit for driving" and go back BBDC. 

This doctor, being a doctor, is damn rubbish. Even after telling her that I need her to write "fit for driving" exactly, guess what she wrote?

"Eyesight meets the criteria required for Level 4 license"

Literally wanted to bang my head against the wall. 

Anyways, I went to BBDC again to try my luck, and fortunately they accepted it. HENG AH!

So, I got my PDL.  YAY!

Reallly, HAISH... it's not even an actual license and I already have to go through all these shit.

But so far, driving was fun. Hehe. My instructor is really good and very patient with me so far. Hoping for one-time pass! Really can not afford to, and don't want to, apply for PDL again!

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NEW JOB

Got a new job after a few difficult interviews. I have started for almost a month actually. 

It's funny how fate works.

I was happy with just a diploma initially, cos I really have had enough of studying after going to SP.

But without working in Quest, I wouldn't have thought I would actually want to get a degree.

If I haven't went to UQ, I wouldn't know how enjoyable studying is, and there is indeed a difference between studying and learning. 

And the classic, if I haven't worked in the blood bank, I wouldn't have know I am blood type B instead of type-O, like what my mom have been telling me for the past 24 years. 

I actually had an epiphany on this, and that people can only say and tell you what you are, but you may not be it!
 

I feel like I wouldn't trade anything to change my past now. It's perfect the way it worked out now. The people I have met, friends I have made, friends I have lost, friends I have kept close..

I actually don't think I would ever want go back to the lab again. At least not a Singapore lab.

I can't remember when was the last gel I made, or ran. 

I can't remember the last time I held a pipette, or the last time I did streaking. 

You never know until it is too late right?

maybe i will never wear gloves again, or hold a test tube . 

maybe i will never touch an electrophoresis tank again. 

Maybe this is what it's like to be growing up.