Moving on to a lighter note, I would like to write the account of the weekend trip at Charleston Trip last weekend. To be able to go to Charleston was kinda fortunate. As written previously, it was one of my friend who needed to stay back to do her work that enabled me to travel with the group, organised by Campus Crusade international ministry.
Charleston is really very nice! A historic town with a bad, tragic past, but clustered with many beautiful architecture and buildings. The blooming of flowers made the town even more aesthetically appealing!
As usual, I draw out my trusty camera and emerged out of the city with around 270 photos. It was a pity however not to be able to find a "Charleston City" Starbucks mug...
Well, on Sunday, the last day in Charleston, was rather experiential. For the first time I expereinced a strong gust! The gust was so strong, and only yesterday that I realised it was 70miles/hr, one of the strongest gust ever experienced. I was at the coast and felt a bit scared as i felt the wind literally blowing me away. Along the way back home, the car experienced some nudges by the strong wind conditions. In fact, the storm called the Nor'easter slammed the East Coast of America, flooding New Jersey and even the city of New York for the first time in a long time, delaying flights and wrecking several houses. I should count it bless that although Charleston was in the news of experiencing the strongest gust, it was not deadly and there's no mishap.
Back at Chapel Hill, it poured so heavily and winds were so strong that yesterday, trees started falling down and smashed several generators, shutting off the whole of Franklin Street (according to what I heard from friends) and making many homes off campus in total blackout...
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Tragic Bloodbath
Today is a day for mourning in America, in the campus here at the pit, and especially in Virginia Tech. Yesterday, a loner, aparantly having twisted mentality, decided to go around the campus shooting innocent people. To watch the news report from CBS made it hard to comprehend why such madness should occur? In my Global Marketing class, there's some discussion about a twisted link to Adolf Hitler's Birthday, which so coincidentally falls this Friday... Whatever links created to this mass killing, one thing for sure, it reinforces that life is so unpredictable. Who would ever think that a college student, full of hope, aspiration and future, could become a mad gunman. Millions of dreams are destroyed as a result. The world is discounted from the contribution of bright minds, not only of Americans, but also of other international students who were victims to the deadliest campus shooting in US history. This is a day to grief with America, with Virginia Tech and with the friends and family members of the victims. May God bless them and may God receive the deceased with loving arms.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Awesome! Simply Awesome!
Haha, have not been blogging lately. Is either too lazy or no mood to do so... I am yet to "journalise" my spring break trip man...
Well, today would be one of the best days I've had @ UNC! First of all, I woke up with a bad hair day as the night before, I slept immediately after showering... Well, although it ain't a good start, things starts to be better! Firstly, Kim, a nice lady who's taking over duties from Erin, my supervisor in the business school over here @ UNC, told me great news! Actually I have this class which I dropped it in time, well, at least I was told by Erin that I'm in time to drop the class. Is just that she cud not do it on her computer, and had to use the paper format. Well, the paper procedures is so slow, and it's only reflected that I dropped the class a week later. Hence, my transcript reflected the class with a "W" grade! I was so pissed. That was last Tuesday. I dropped by the office and Kim took note and went to the right person to get it rectified. I must applaud for her effectiveness, as this morning when I go to her office, she told me it's in the process of rectifying and I would see the class erased from my transcript in no time.
That was pretty good news, but something greater greeted me when I went back to my dorm, after a super early class @ 8am, and checked my email. I wanted to go to Charleston with a group, but I was too late to register and sign up. However, I received the email from this lady whom I expressed my interest in going that someone backed out from the trip and I could take the slot! I was overjoyed as I finally can travel, during a normal weekend, again after travelling once to Atlanta during my 24th birthday on the 24th Feb. Well, I was particularly desperate to travel especially after not being able to join the group of friends to Washington DC during the easter weekend last week due to overcapacity of the car which is taking the 9 of them there, and being left somewhat alone with another guy, who has already been to DC, in campus... Can't wait to go Charleston tomorrow and take many pictures! haHA!
The ultimate good news came when I come back from the afternoon class. I was aware that I have 2 packages waiting for me at my dorm's front desk, but had no idea what are they from. Well, I've been online shopping, so I was thinking it should be one of the products which I've ordered online that has finally arrived. But guess what! One of the package wasn't familiar and was not a product I've purchased online sent to my dorm! Well, I suspected that especially when I saw my family name in front of my name! well, in america, I've been writing my name as: Li Hao Wong. In Singapore, the last name is placed in front. So when I saw Wong Li Hao James, I felt quite strange. When I scrutinised the sender of the package, I realised it's from my Attributes member back at Singapore. And when I see the content listed down on the paper, I was so surprised! Soon, I realised that my fellow beloved Attributes members didn't forget me and sent me goodies from Singapore all the way to America! I felt so touched and so loved! They sent bak ku teh, laksa sauces, packaged bak gua, pineapple tarts and other goodies from CNY! Also they sent jars of sauces! Just in time for this special cooking dinner in Shannon's (a Singaporean doing and exchange here from her Australian University) odum village apartment next week! I was so surprised and delighted! Well, frankly, during my stay here in America, which is close to 5 months, I kinda missed serving side-by-side with the Attributes members before, during and after church services! I missed pulling out the heavy mobile cupboards, running from one side of the expo hall to the other side to set up the kidszone, bring stocks in and out for the retail to display on the cupboards and such. Those activities, albeit tiring and sometimes stressful, are very rewarding and enriching and I had a great time serving the Lord! Praise the Lord! Thank you guys in Attributes! Thank you Robin, Jayson, Cherry, Sue, Cheryl, Altona, Morgan, Thomas, Fi, Wenyi, Jingyi, Min Min and the rest of the great ministry team for this special package! Thank you Altona, Morgan, Thomas, Alvin and the rest of the Log section for standing in the gap and covering for me in the area of Logistics! I can't wait to come back and to sweat it out side-by-side along with you guys!
Well, today would be one of the best days I've had @ UNC! First of all, I woke up with a bad hair day as the night before, I slept immediately after showering... Well, although it ain't a good start, things starts to be better! Firstly, Kim, a nice lady who's taking over duties from Erin, my supervisor in the business school over here @ UNC, told me great news! Actually I have this class which I dropped it in time, well, at least I was told by Erin that I'm in time to drop the class. Is just that she cud not do it on her computer, and had to use the paper format. Well, the paper procedures is so slow, and it's only reflected that I dropped the class a week later. Hence, my transcript reflected the class with a "W" grade! I was so pissed. That was last Tuesday. I dropped by the office and Kim took note and went to the right person to get it rectified. I must applaud for her effectiveness, as this morning when I go to her office, she told me it's in the process of rectifying and I would see the class erased from my transcript in no time.
That was pretty good news, but something greater greeted me when I went back to my dorm, after a super early class @ 8am, and checked my email. I wanted to go to Charleston with a group, but I was too late to register and sign up. However, I received the email from this lady whom I expressed my interest in going that someone backed out from the trip and I could take the slot! I was overjoyed as I finally can travel, during a normal weekend, again after travelling once to Atlanta during my 24th birthday on the 24th Feb. Well, I was particularly desperate to travel especially after not being able to join the group of friends to Washington DC during the easter weekend last week due to overcapacity of the car which is taking the 9 of them there, and being left somewhat alone with another guy, who has already been to DC, in campus... Can't wait to go Charleston tomorrow and take many pictures! haHA!
The ultimate good news came when I come back from the afternoon class. I was aware that I have 2 packages waiting for me at my dorm's front desk, but had no idea what are they from. Well, I've been online shopping, so I was thinking it should be one of the products which I've ordered online that has finally arrived. But guess what! One of the package wasn't familiar and was not a product I've purchased online sent to my dorm! Well, I suspected that especially when I saw my family name in front of my name! well, in america, I've been writing my name as: Li Hao Wong. In Singapore, the last name is placed in front. So when I saw Wong Li Hao James, I felt quite strange. When I scrutinised the sender of the package, I realised it's from my Attributes member back at Singapore. And when I see the content listed down on the paper, I was so surprised! Soon, I realised that my fellow beloved Attributes members didn't forget me and sent me goodies from Singapore all the way to America! I felt so touched and so loved! They sent bak ku teh, laksa sauces, packaged bak gua, pineapple tarts and other goodies from CNY! Also they sent jars of sauces! Just in time for this special cooking dinner in Shannon's (a Singaporean doing and exchange here from her Australian University) odum village apartment next week! I was so surprised and delighted! Well, frankly, during my stay here in America, which is close to 5 months, I kinda missed serving side-by-side with the Attributes members before, during and after church services! I missed pulling out the heavy mobile cupboards, running from one side of the expo hall to the other side to set up the kidszone, bring stocks in and out for the retail to display on the cupboards and such. Those activities, albeit tiring and sometimes stressful, are very rewarding and enriching and I had a great time serving the Lord! Praise the Lord! Thank you guys in Attributes! Thank you Robin, Jayson, Cherry, Sue, Cheryl, Altona, Morgan, Thomas, Fi, Wenyi, Jingyi, Min Min and the rest of the great ministry team for this special package! Thank you Altona, Morgan, Thomas, Alvin and the rest of the Log section for standing in the gap and covering for me in the area of Logistics! I can't wait to come back and to sweat it out side-by-side along with you guys!
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