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So here I am, on a Friday, waiting for my CNY package to arrive by DHL. I was supposed to leave to meet Keith about 30 minutes ago, but I was caught in a dilemma, in which the choice of waiting until the package arrived won. I really wanna give Keith the pineapple tarts today, and I don’t really want them to leave the package out in the cold lest all the stuff spoil. My street soccer boots are in the package too, and I’m going to play tonight, so I’ll probably need it anyway.

I was supposed to go to Keith’s to get some work done (and to play paintball!), and to have a simple dinner based on whatever my Godmother sent me. Today, we were going to have Bak Kut Teh… it’d be awesome since the weather here really suits the hot, peppery broth…or vice-versa, rather.

The morning was spent talking to Candice about her trip here on the 21st… the 22nd being my birthday, we decided to get a train to Detroit to catch the play, Rent, spend the night there, then return the next evening. That would really be a wonderful birthday…the best I’d ever have.

The early afternoon was breakfast time..I had quite a bit of bacon left over, and a dozen eggs, so I made croissants, bacon and eggs for an uber late breakfast. Then I played on the antique piano till it couldn’t take anymore pounding on its delicate keys.

I miss home…but not as much as when I first got here. I mean, the magnitude is probably the same, but the fun and entertainment of Ann Arbor and UM are really slowly getting to me. Of course, this has everything to do with Keith and Caleb. Really, I’d probably be in a very bad state were it not for them and their concern… Keith, who’s always driving me around everywhere and having dinner with me on Fridays, and including me in fun activities involving other Singaporeans..and Caleb, whom I got to know, thankfully, through the EECS 483 class, and who’s a great project group mate (who has shown more responsibility and know-how than any other group mate I’ve paired up with in Singapore) and who’s always including me in his little gatherings of really fun and caring friends. I wouldn’t consider myself a very religious person, but I’m really thankful, from the bottom of my heart, that God sent them to help me.

Well, today’s quite warm, it’s 2 degrees Celsius! I’m sitting by the glass panes in the living room, and all I see is the stillness of winter, interrupted by the occasional gust of wind that blow the brown and lifeless leaves across the white sheets of snow and ice. It’s surreal.

Keith has offered to pick me up from my place..he went to get the groceries for our dinner. I really hope the DHL courier comes soon. It’s getting quite dark, but I don’t think it’s the sun setting just yet. I think it’s the mist and fog coming in.

DHL just came! Happy days!