Ratatouille

Funny, smart and absolutely breathtaking. Watching this movie made me wanna visit Paris, and get an internship at Pixar. See it now!

Ready to Roll

Ahhh finally feel like blogging.. after almost a week since I touched down on Austin soil. Many thanks to those who sent me off at the airport. My flight was pretty okay, except that at Minneapolis, immigration+ baggageclaim+ baggagecheckin+ securitycheck took soo long, that even after sprinting across half the airport to get to my connecting flight to Austin, I missed it by 7 minutes. But that happens I guess. I got another flight which was 4 hours later. Kim picked me up and it was great to see her again.

My first few days in Austin were quiet. None of my roommates were back yet. It was quite a shock compared to the constant noise and chatter I'd been used to in Singapore. I missed Mom's sporadic bursts into song and Kyle blasting his emo Indo music. Felt so... displaced. I'm sure that's totally normal, but when I realized I couldn't sleep, I got even more anxious. Most people know that if there's one thing I can do well, it's sleeping. Even THAT was taken away from me! So with nothing else to do in the wee hours of the morning, I started praying for anything I could think of. Really loudly. I prayed for God's presence to come and fill my house so I wouldn't feel alone. I prayed for people back home, myself and my year ahead. And, wow, I could really feel the change in me. God was right there with me. I read the Bible and the words were just popping off the page like never before. It was an amazing and encouraging time with Him that I wouldn't trade for anything. It was cool to be awake to see the light of dawn stream in through my blinds every day. I call it my 'Orientation' for the new school year, because it really helped me get mentally and emotionally prepared for school again. So I say thank God for jet lag!

I wasn't at home all day for five days praying (though that isn't such a bad idea at some point in one's life, right?). I visited old haunts like Mozart's with Kim, Dre and the cell group. Went to watch Hairspray with Kim, which was hilarious and made us want to bring back '60s frocks and the Beehive. Attended Hill Country Bible Church's 7pm service, where the music was so loud there were earplugs at the door. Helped Becks move into her co-op - a student-run residence where you share work duties. Caught up with the rest of the Singaporeans at the Alligator Grill.
I miss Singapore a ton, but it feels good to be back in Austin.

Today was the start of work and school. I got assigned to different rooms for work, and I like these ones more. So that's great. I was totally in GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE!!! mode this morning (sorry, Hairspray reference). So excited to start classes. Such a nerd. My professors seem great, and my courses are interesting and challenging. I teach six 30-minute lessons this semester at a middle school, in addition to 14 hours of observation. That's the biggest challenge, I think. It's going to be hectic, but I'm up for it. I'm gonna remember all that Uncle Wu told me about pushing myself and studying like mad, and just dive right in. And I pray I stay close to God thoughout, because "apart from Him I have no good thing".

I miss you all in Singapore, and thank you for making my summer so beautiful. Will keep you posted!