Shopping & Orientation & Shopping

25th August... OOps... i'm still a long way behind my blog ler.... i think i will just touch n go lar...
can't include much details... if not, i'll always be few days behind my blog...

Actually, just moved in to my new room lor... it's a single room, quite decent, not really big but it is enough for one lar.... and my neighbour is Eric, both of us share a bathroom... so, it is easy for us to keep to bathroom clean... we can just leave all the toiletries in the bathroom lor... no need to take it with us and keep it after us...

basically, it is just a day for us to unpack our stuff... one more thing, we did opened a checking account... it is very common for us to sign a check to pay a bill, to pay a restaurant, to pay this and that lar.... and got a free sweat shirt for it... wat's nice about the sweat shirt is that it has the word 'MICHIGAN' across the chest.... Go MICHIGAN, GO BLUE, GO WOLVERINES....!!!

At night, one of our seniors, Ayun, cooked us dinner.... she cooked nasi ayam... really nice and definitely better than the one serving at main cafe at INTEC, UiTM... THANKX a lot.... :-P



26th August...
Ok, this is the way that my blog should go... include all the details very tiringler...

so, today, we went to open another account, the University of Michigan Credit Union bank account. This is because this bank does not charge incoming funds wiring... in this way, we dun have to pay a commission to the bank everytime JPA sends us money... Cool...and we got a cool water bottle for it....nice.... i wonder is there any other bank giving free stuff for us to keep money there??

so, at the late afternoon, we went to Meijers to purchase groceries and simple furnitures, and other needed stuffs.... bought a comforter there. a water purifier, detergent, food stuff...and that's all...
had subway for dinner... not bad.. it's tasty and healthy...

tomorrow is the starting of my orientation... hope that it will be fun..



27th August...

So, orientation har... Nothing much lar.... a lot of people attended it and the hall was really packed entirely with students and parents... and 90% of them have black hair...got wat i mean?
At first, before coming to Michigan, i still think that the Malaysian community will be the biggest group in Michigan, but i was very wrong... 20 of us is nothing... coz Singapore and Korea have about 60 students each, and there China students, Japanese students, Taiwanese Students....and also Hong Kongers students....and India....and Pakistan, and Egypt.... The talks were simple and nice... the play was insightful... and the food served at the dining hall were nice... everything was really nice.. and i do appreciate it ...a lot....settled all the important paperworks,(about our F1 visa status) stuff lor.... and followed the campus tour.... got to know several seniors(orientation leaders)

at night, got my internet connection at last.... started to download stuff... didn't upload coz it is not safe and it is against the law.... so, i'm smart enuff to keep myself from landing on a sue , landing on a summon bill.....nothing much at night also,.... really bored....luckily can online, almost one week didn't online, really siong....

tmr will be the 2nd orientation day... sien... more talks and shopping....

Flying and Settling Down

Hey peeps...

It's been almost three days since i last updated my blog. I can't get my hands to any of the computer in the lab and my internet connection was down. That’s the reason why I didn’t keep u guys informed about my wonderful journey to the States.

First Day, 08/23/2004(Monday), from KLIA:

My parents and I reached the KL International Airport at 15 minutes past 11. Most of my friends who are going to fly together were already there. After check-in my luggage, two big bags weighing slightly more than 43 kilograms (there are considerably light as compared to those of my friends’ who totaled up to 63 kilograms), Min Han and Chee Han arrived and met me. My brother, Nigel and his girlfriends, Cindy, came to meet us as well. We mingled around, took photographs, and had lunch at McD.

After the lunch, it is about time for me to leave. After catching a few memorable shots, we lifted ourselves with heavy heart and took the escalator down to the immigration counters, where only flight passengers are allowed to enter, that’s where my family, friends and I parted.

The journey to Taipei was still bearable, by watching a movie: Mean Girls featuring Lindsay Lohan, then reading the on board magazine, and had a light meal, four hours had passed and we had arrived in Taipei. The taxi-ing in the airport was delayed, and it was just a short stop, we stopped in Taipei for less than 50 minutes. But who cares, I’ve been to Taipei…hahahaha

Coming up next is the big killer... the journey from Taipei to Los Angeles International Airport(LAX) is 11 hours and + minutes. yup... u heard me rite... 11 hours... so, wat can i do for 11 hours at the congested place? I did some leg exercise, more like toes exercise, to prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis...and tried to sleep.... but just can't help waking up intermittently... and the air on the plane is really dry and my lacks started to crack...and it was really no fun to travel on the plane for so darn long... All i can do was to look at the LCD panel in front, and counting down the time to reach LA, hoping that by doing so, the flight will be over faster, but of course, i'm wrong...

i reached LA international airport at about 1830 hrs, local time, GMT -0700, (15 hours slower than Malaysia time),and the immigration checking was fine for me, there were a few unlucky guy that was randomly chosen to be questioned further... but getting the luggage is no fun, there are really heavy and bulky and we had to check them out and check them in again,for the next connecting flight to Chicago in the next morning...

By the time we checked out and checked in our luggages, it was about half past eight, some of my poor friends were not 'freed' yet...so, a bunch of us decided to go to Motel 6 (a big Motel chain in the US) nearby to get a room, to rest for the night...
the room at Motel 6 was not bad... it is quite spacious and clean... it is not any other motel... it is comparable to a 3 stars hotel in Malaysia...

Second Day, 08/24/2004(Tuesday), from LA:

The next morning, at about 4.45 am, we left our Motel to go to the airport to get our ticket and of course to catch our connecting flight to Chicago. The immigration checking here was really strict, we have to take off our shoes, open our laptop bags, this and that, and scanned by a hand-held metal detector, in order to clear the gate... after that, i got a cup of Vanilla Creme as breakfast....
at 6.30 am, we board the plane to Chicago, that's when we parted with Sui Lin, who will be taking a later 7.30am flight straight to Boston...

The journey from LA to Chicago international airport is 4 hrs, but we reached there at 1330hrs, why?? hehehe, is the timezone again... Chicago uses the Central time zone, which at GMT- 0500, 2 hrs faster than LA,... the journey is still bearable..... at least, they showed good movie aboard....

After reaching Chicago international airport, we had to walk really fast to the next gate to catch our next connecting flight to Detroit International Airport, because the time between the arrival at Chicago and departure from Chicago is only 40 minutes apart... the flight from Chicago to Detroit is only 51 minutes long, and again, change of timezone, Detroit uses the Eastern time, GMT -0400, which is 12 hours slower than Malaysia...

So, we reached Detroit at 1540 hrs, after meeting the MSD officer there and also our really really nice seniors, and getting our luggages, and stuffed it onto 5 different taxis, we went to check in at the early arrival housing, at Betsy Barbour House... Before moving into our respective rooms, we had a meeting with the MSD officers, and filled in some forms, coz of formalities, nothing much.... Boring... :-P

So, after that, we moved into our temporary room for the night, and our seniors brought us out to have dinner... We had chinese food for dinner, it is considerably nice, but the serving is really huge.... enormous....it's scary....i can hardly finish mine, and managed to eat up all the chicken, thankx to selective eating skill... after the dinner, we took a walk around the central campus, although is about 8.30pm, it was still very bright... it's like 5-6pm in Malaysia.. it's summer, and the sun will set at around 9 +....

nothing much during night.... quite tired... and basically, rested well.... prepared for moving to permanent room tmr....

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

'All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standin' here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye

But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn
The taxi's waitin', he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go

'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go......' ~adapted from 'Leaving on a jet plane'

Woke up at 12pm this 'morning', packed the final 5 % of my luggage (approximately) hahaha dunno how i can calculate that...

straight away had my lunch after brushing my teeth... those leftovers from the BBQ 2 nights ago... and some dim sum, from the shop at SS 15...

in the afternoon, went to have my haircut... it is really short now... and my bro sent me to the Hair Station, then picked me up abt 30 minutes later.... and gave me a winter cap....Blue color... my favorite color....nice nice... thankx a lot...

then, at about 3pm, went to Inferno World Cybercafe to play Warcraft 3 Frozen Throne...
it was really nice...Played the Hero Map... 3 Corridors, D-day... 4 vs 4... sorry... a lot Computer Games Warcraft 3 jargon here....Zhi yik came to look for me there... and gave me Weeli and his present to me... thank you very much...

went home at abt 6.45pm.... watched Olympics....wat else... Table Tennis, Women Single, Final... China Zhang Yining vs Korea Dunnowho... Go China.... China won... such a lopsided match... Yeah...i think China can reach their target of 20 Golds by the end of the day...

Had dinner with my family... then at abt 8pm... My family drove down to Pudu Raya, to send my bro to catch his bus back to UUM, Sintok, Kedah... thankx bro for coming back... really appreciate that...

at abt 9.45pm, went to Starbucks, Carrefour, Subang Jaya with Min Han and Chee Han...had my favorite Green Tea frappucino...nice nice... there goes my 15 bucks... hahaha

went home at 11pm....and double check my luggage...this and that... and this and that.... and....nvm... let me online and update my blog first... hehehe....

really got to go now.... have to complete my packing procedures.... wishing u all the best... and good luck and take care... and u shall hear from me in 2 days time, when i'm in the states... kakakaka....really excited now... and a bit sad.... will be missing my family, frens, foods, sunshine and freedom, and those pirated stuff.... hahaha.... :-P

KLCC

KLCC is such a good place to be...

Wee Li, Min Han and I went down to KLCC this afternoon....

so, we had lunch at Chilli's Bar and Restaurant...

The food was nice... but tooo big portion...even 3 of us who can eat a cow can't finish the food...
the tostada chips.... the juice...the starter... the favourites...blek..... can't take it anymore...

Walked up a floor, to Kinokuniya... looked for books... can't find it... nvm, i think those books i need are only available in the States...ouch... my pocket :-P

later, we took a cab to Low Yat Plaza... at first, an irresponsible driver wanted to cut our throat by offering a charge of RM 10, wat daylight robbery... we took a cab at the taxi stand, and it only cost me RM 3.....

So, 3 of us, carried our heavy stomach, stroll around in Low Yat, for nothing.... Lepak....That's the word...Wanted to buy some pirated games over to the States... but, it's kinda against my conscience... :-P... so i didn't buy anything...

hehehe.. then, the interesting part, the highlight of the day occured... with Wee Li chasing the bus, and caught the bus back to Melaka at the very last moment at 4.00pm... Min Han and I took a metrobus back to Subang at the same time...

Chinese do like to indulge themselves in eating....agree??? in the evening, my family went to PJ SS2, to eat Hong Kong Chee Chueng Fun there.. the prawn is so big and succulent... and it just so---- delicious.... and also bought Weng Heong's barbeque pork....

at abt 11pm, Gary(my elder bro) brought home Lao Shu Fun from KL... the infamous stall... and again, MAKAN....

wat a wonderful way to spend my 2nd last day before i fly to the states.... EAT and EAT and EAT....
and also the HEAT too.... today's weather was so SUNNY....

Farewell Party

Hi ya everybody.... Thankx for visiting this blog...

Firstly, i would like to thank TzeChang and Kenny for giving me such a nice nick name... Decent Merson Anderson...

and thank you Wuan Zhu for suggesting me to start a blog so that my family and frens know about my doing when i'm in the states...

Ok enuff of introduction, let's go straight to the point.....Farewell Party...Not any other Farewell Party...It's my Farewell Party....Muahahahahah.... :P

So, it all started at 7.30pm.... with Min Han arrived at 10 minutes before time.... maybe he was hungry... just joking man, he is just here to offer me any help...Then, abt 15 minutes later, around 7.45pm, Wei Shen and Yufoong came...Ai, Wei Shen, u are not the first person to arrive ler...And then, people started to arrive...Su Shian, Wuan Zhu, Chung Yew and Xin Yu... All these people, hmm, a bit shy I suppose...Want me to ask them to start BBQ-ing several times, before they walked to the pit and the BBQ started 'officially'...

later, more and more ppl came lar:Chee Han, Yao Yang, Zhi Yik, Wee Li, Rocky, Jia Mean, Ivan... as usual, many ppl will arrive late for such thing... :-P and bunch of them, girls: Su Ying, Wen Chiat, Kit Yan, Shing Yee had tuition class til 10pm, so they came right after their class...and Zhi Hui also...

aiyor, these ppl are really light eaters, luckily got Zhi Yik, got a bottomless stomach, but still, can't help me to clear all the food...maybe my parents over-prepared lar... got nuggets, drummets, frankfurters, crabsticks, fried rice, fried meehoon, yamcake, fried seafood balls, BBQ chicken wings, ice cream potong... in the end, there's a lot of food left... Cham...i will have to suffer with all these foods till i fly on next Monday...

Jian Wey came too at the very last moment...He just came back from Kem BTN from Sepang, tmr got prize giving ceremony to attend kononnye....

So, we chatted, mingled, joked, took photos, and had fun...It all ended at about 12am, and it was clean-up time... Thankx Zhi Yik, Xin Yu and Wee Li for their helping hands...

And it's time for me to check out the presents and cards I received...Thank you very much....Muackzz....

Thank you everyone for attending this farewell party...Hope to see you all soon...I'll try to update this blog at a daily basis...So, if you got nothing to do and have time to kill, u can always and most welcomed to check this blog out...

For those who can't make it, nvm....For those who are left out, SORRY.... :-P

TIL WE MEET AGAIN....

Below is my contact in the States...My campus mailing address...

Voon Seng Lai
3212 Lee House
Baits I Houses
1230 Hubbard
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2082
United States of America

Tel : 734-272-9986
ICQ: 2505 7478
Email : voonseng@hotmail.com
voonseng@umich.edu

-There's no wrong to risk and Try
There's no limit even the Sky
So spread your wings and Fly....-