So… Exam season has hit, and if you think you have it hard in the UK, try studying in Asia. The work ethic is second to none, with one of my Singaporean friends quoting “what is sleep” when I asked why he was still working at 8 in the morning, having done an all night study session. Now, I’m sure everyone is pretty familiar with all nighters, however we still had a month until exams even begun?!?
It really is beginning to feel like the end, which is making me extremely sad! The business school here finishes early and so, alas, 3 of my friends are jetting off to India this weekend and then back home (USA). It feels like we all only just arrived, and I honestly wish I was doing a whole year. We had a fantastic last night all together, with Emma renting a boat for her 21st; allowing us to sail and go night-time swimming off the coast of Singapore.
I also had a friend from my little old hometown Wantage, Lydia, visit for a week which was super fun, although it was odd to be speaking to someone with a British accent again (apparently I’ve picked up an American twang). It was a jam-packed week, which involved little more than 4 hours sleep a night due to it also being deadline week… One of the highlights was drinking Sangria on a rooftop bar (not very Singaporean I know)
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The last trip within term time I went on was to Vietnam, which was quite possibly my favourite country I have ever been to! There was so much to do:
(Although it looks painful, and shortly after I did lose my rope and fall, this was actually very fun)
(this was all fun and games until our ATV broke half way up a dune and we had to trek all the way back to the rental place, walking on hills made of sand is hard times)
Vietnam is incredibly diverse in both culture and landscape, with each city being completely different in character than the one before. However, our luck as tourists did not do so well; with initially Lizzie sleeping through our flight, and us subsequently getting lost in the Vietnamese forest on our canyoning trip. Even with facing these hurdles, me and Lizzie have decided to return once more, at the end of the Semester and before our flights home.
As I glance around the library, everyone’s strong work ethic is making me feel guilty for not also soldiering through with revision, I suppose I’ll get started on the hundreds of flash cards I should probably be making.
Great post!