After a long while...

Well... it's been a long time since i've updated! (yes, this blog is still functioning. it has not been abandoned.)

Gosh, u won't believe the inefficiency and incompetency that exists here. i still haven't gotten my internet connection at home and i'm using the one in the office (i'm on lunch break btw). there was a major screw-up with tiscali (that delayed us by 4 weeks) and on top of this, BT (our phone company) also cracked up on us. we were without a home phone line for about 2 weeks. unbelieveable. hopefully i'll get the internet up and running in 2 weeks time. i still can't believe i've survived 2 months without an internet connection at home. completely ridiculous.

Anyway, life's been good the past 2 months. all the singaporeans are getting on well with each other and the 2nd batch of trainees are just finishing their 3rd week of work. everyone has more or less settled into the new life here. Training has been getting on fine. i was pretty depressed during the first 2 weeks because of the sheer amount of reading that i had to do. loads of SOPs (standard operating procedures) and introductory sessions to attend. work got much better after we started to go on plant more (i'm in the purification department btw). i think all the trainees have been progressing well. our first report is due at EDB in a week's time.

My colleagues (lonza pple) are really great. they're friendly, helpful and i believe that i'm starting to build up some chemistry with them. they really make a difference to my work. makes work-life more enjoyable... i look forward to learning and interacting more with them.

Life's become almost a routine for me (apart from the once a fortnight gatherings at someone's place), 0700-1530 work hours, 5 days a week. cooking lunch (for the next working daY) almost everyday after i get home (everyone takes packed lunch to work. there are no canteens at the work place. only snack vending machines are available), grocery shopping on somedays. weekends spell window and grocery shopping in town, church on sundays as usual - o, i haven't settled on a church yet. i'm still church-hopping and trying to find the one that i'm most comfortable with. i may well end up attending church in london, which is a 20min train ride and prob 20min tube ride away from home. i don't mind that though, as long as i'm comfortable.

It's quite convenient to travel around my area really... bus stop is just a 5min walk away. on top of this, i've just gotten a 2nd-hand bicycle from my colleague for 30quid. its in excellent condition and i'm really happy with my purchase apart from the fact that its a little too high (but i'm managing it well and getting used to it). i've yet to get a bicycle lock so i'm borrowing one from eileen for the time being.

Ken visited for about a week (just before flying back to glasgow; and brought my mum's sambal chilli all the way from singapore!) and left just a couple of days ago. (i miss him so much!) we had a great time shopping, walking about and cooking together. i showed him around town and windsor and we also made a trip to london over the weekend to meet up with jonathan and sangee who have just returned from singapore. it's nice to have friends nearby. =)

and finally... something about the weather. it's still not getting any colder. its about 20degC on the average. temperatures may hit above 25degC on what i consider 'bad days'. i love the sun but i don't like it burning down on me.

and and.. (sorry this is really random), my landlord bought us a 20inch television! after my flatmates were whining to her about how we had to travel 20mins by foot just to watch our fav reality tv show (How do u solve a problem like Maria? (sound of music)). gosh, don't we sound desparate.

I'll upload some photos soon to make up for all those missing entries but really, i'm doing fine and i really miss all of u in singapore!