Up and away.

I'm moving to China. It started out as a random thought, I jokingly mentioned it to my boss, then to my family and friends but it is really happening now. I have my ticket and visa so I am definitely going now. I am not sure whether I am excited or scared... but I am definitely nervous, it is all the same no? Fear and excitement... anticipation and restlessness. I don't know what to expect.

So far I've studied about China from the outside, It is definitely a different thing to actually live there, work there, make friends there and experience life there. I am going to have language courses too because I haven't written or read Chinese in almost two years. I don't have many contacts there too... panicking!

Everything is happening so quick. I have two more weeks to be here in Geneva. There is so much paper work to be done before I can go in peace. Geneva has been the good and the bad, definitely drained me of all my money but I made wonderful friends here. Most of them have moved away so I wont be missing too many people when I leave. I'm definitely looking forward to cheaper food and cheaper living in China, a welcome change from this overpriced city.



Since I started actually pursuing this China plan, I've been having this weird feeling at the pit of my stomach, some people are scaring me with their woeful tales of China, while others are enticing me with the rich experiences they had there. Who is lying? heheh...What kind of experience am I going to make there? I hope it is going to be a good one because I do love learning about Chinese language, culture and history.

Adieu Europe... or should I say Au revoir or A bientôt?

2010 begins today :)

(Photo by Dennis Germaine)

I have not had access to internet for quite a while. I spent the past 2 months on assignment in places with no immediate access to internet. All that traveling made me feel disconnected from the world and from the reality that I was used to. It was quite hard because of my addiction to internet and the fact that I had to leave all the dramas that I was watching behind... hehehe. Even though it was great to travel around, I'm glad those months are over. I'm back to my life in Geneva, grad school is kicking butt right now because I missed some classes but I will catch up. I will have no social life this semester because I have school and two jobs, one of which will require me to travel on request. I have 5 exams, one 30- pager and two big presentations. It sounds scary now but I'm sure that I will be able to do it all if I can stay focused! I do hope that my blog does not suffer the brunt of my lack of free time!

There are so many changes going on in my life right now, it feels a little overwhelming. However, I will dance to the tune that life is playing to me and see where my feet will end. At this time, I will remember the wise words of Guillaume Apollinaire- "La joie venait toujours apres la peine." Fighting!!!! :)

Happy new year BLOGGER!

I have long been away...

It's been quite a while since my last post... I am such a horrible blogger :(

I have a good excuse though, I finally moved to Switzerland!!! After a crap load of paper work, I have my residence permit!!! I moved completely in September and I'm still getting used to this place hence my long silence. It is such a beautiful city!!! I have an apartment that has a spectacular view of Lac Leman... even though I am paying too much money as rent and will have to find a cheaper place soon, it is worth it for the time being! Geneva is so diverse, I love it!!! I had packed all the natural hair products I could find when I was in the US but when I got here, there were so many hair shops and salons that can take care of my hair :)

This city is filled with Diplomats, Ambassadors, Top negotiators and other bigwigs in international relations... pretty cool!!!

Downside... well, more shitty paper work to do about insurance (health and something vague called "civil responsibility insurance"... wth??? It is compulsory and costs close to 300CHF... WTH... I am a responsible person, why do I need insurance to prove it civilly??? (hehehe... I know, I'm not making any sense). Trying to make new friends, getting used to the work in grad school, paying too much money every month (it is so freaking expensive to live in this place, I went to buy groceries the other day and decided to finally treat myself to some good meat for a change, I had to pay 9CHF for a measly looking piece of lamb)... sigh... I am also adjusting to switching between English and French and learning all my classes in French (I bought a tape recorder to record lectures... can' t seem to get everything the Professors say in class... too busy trying to stay awake...hehe...

Awww, I will stop babbling now, I will try to make posts more often... have to get back to my mountain of readings for tomorrows classes... Ciao ;)

21...

Today has a lot of firsts... my first blog-post, my 21st year on planet earth...I have heard that 21 marks the beginning of true independence and true life experiences in the real world... bleh!!! I don't know if I am ready for all of that! I honestly do hate growing older every year! I wish I could remain a carefree kid living with my siblings and friends and parents... now I have to make choices that are going to change the direction of my life! Oh well... okay this sucks, why the hell am I listening to corny and depressing music as I write this post? I have to stop!!! Anyways, happy birthday to me!!! :)

... I promise to post as much as I can (well, I probably should be working on my thesis but w'eva) heeheehee