Wow I've been super busy lately. It's back to the full swing of things, once again. Gosh I can't really think of anything significant to blog about, because there haven't been any momentous happenings that have taken place since I've been back. The UMich SSA (Singapore Students' Association) is organizing a Chinese New Year dinner for all its members next Saturday, which is something pretty worth looking forward to, since, for the first time for as long as I can remember, I won't be traipsing down to relatives' and friends' places to indulge in traditional festive goodies or collecting my hongbaos. But of course I've delegated my parents to accept them on my behalf, so at least I won't be missing out on too much. Anyway I've heard pretty strange comments about the dinner the SSA organizes yearly in commemoration of CNY- two of my seniors have already remarked that the food "looks Chinese, but doesn't really taste Chinese". Well, I guess that's pretty much the deal with all sorts of Chinese-esque food in the USA. No matter how much you try to dress it up with shallots and spring onions and other forms of Oriental garnishes, the taste remains essentially American. But that doesn't bother me too much because I'm not pining away for local Singaporean food or impossibly faultless Chinese cuisine; unlike some of my Singaporean counterparts here in UMich who heckle about the dearth of good Chinese food incessantly. And sometimes they go on a roll and begin complaining about Ann Arbor being far too small for their liking, especially when compared with a metropolitan city like Singapore, and that there's just about absolutely nothing to do here. Even though some of these people are arguably my closer friends in UMich, and people I do find extremely endearing (in most other aspects of day-to-day life), it just irks me when they start whining and griping about all these issues. It doesn't make the slightest bit of sense to me, at all. Granted, Ann Arbor's a college town and can't boast of the sort of vibrancy that emanates from megapolises like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles- but it's characterized by a more dynamic, youthful vibe that comes from the presence of the large resident student population, and a homely feel that hails from the closeness of the surrounding suburban community. And if urban life is what you've always wanted, why didn't you apply somewhere else in the first place and save the $70 application fee to UMich- like to UCLA or NYU or someplace you'd feel more at home- or, alternatively, stay in Singapore where you've got the comforts of home, Orchard Road, and tropical weather, and also where you could save ten times the money you're paying for a U-M degree (and perhaps splurge it on supper every night at Jalan Kayu or Newton Hawker Center)? My take on this whole issue is: Give it up, quit complaining because it's only going to make you feel more miserable especially if all you can think about is Ghim Moh char kuay teow as a tear rolls down your face and splashes into your plate of TK Wu's Taiwanese-Style Fried Noodles (just about the closest you can get to the former). Go participate in some form of college activity! I'm testament to the fact that Michigan Rowing is perhaps what characterizes my life, and it's incredible what you learn, and the friends you make, through the shared experiences. If you're only going to confine yourself to Singaporeans and other international Asian students, you're never going to break out of that insular circle you've constructed around yourself, and things will never change. Besides, sports keeps you occupied and healthy and those are two marvelous bonuses in themselves. I guess what I've said pretty much applies to anyone who's in college right now and looking to define their lives or add some meaning to an otherwise mundane, everyday, existence. There's so much you can learn and so much that's up for grabs if you just choose to acknowledge the presence of new things you can try, activities you can venture into, and so on.