Friday, June 13, 2008
Teary eyes...
Last day of work over.
Taught whatever I could to the 2 summer students.
Didn't have a good sleep the previous night.
Just feel kind of suffocated, tight lungs.
Very uncomfortable.
It's hard to say goodbye.
Firstly goodbye to a Lady on Monday,
Second on tuesday to our cute Supervisor. [forgot to take photo with him =( ]
Third to my project in charge on wednesday.
Many more on today, thursday.
1st goodbye of the day already made my tears flow, that was to the canteen aunties.
It's like they can still tell us that they remember the very first day we step into that canteen.
Subsequent ones... oh no.
Why can't Ireland be next to Singapore?
Or be like 1hr flight away?
We might never ever meet each other again.
That is sad.
Anyway, going to London tomorrow.
Hope everything turns out well...
I have no space to buy anything from London. =(
Going to be back really soon...
See you all back in hot sunny Singapore.Labels: Feelings, Ireland
s e n s e d @ 12:59 AM
Monday, June 09, 2008
Letting go...
Wanted to blog about Rome, but just don't really have the mood to do so...
There's just so much to say about.
Had a small dinner party at my supervisor's house last Thursday.
Really very enjoyable.
He stays in a very lovely place, beside a huge lake.
His dinning area has a very nice view of the lake.
He owns 4 very obedient dogs, 2 cats, 2 horses, a fish tank of sea creatures including hermit crabs, 3 ducks and don't know how many chickens.
Very unique house, really.
For once I have experienced for myself how an European dinner goes about.
Main course, dessert, cheese with some alcoholic drink followed by coffee with chocolate.
Anyway, the last weekend here is gone.
I had some trouble sleeping well last night.
Could it be because I am missing this place already.
It is really wonderful here...
I like the people, the lifestyle etc here.
But I miss the people back home.
Awww.... if only I can have the best of both worlds.Labels: Feelings, Ireland, Reflections
s e n s e d @ 5:11 PM
Friday, May 23, 2008
abandoned
My camera abandone me,
after visits to the Dublin Zoo and Dublin Castle.
No camera to use for Rome and London.
Oh no!
That feeling is horrid.
Going home soon...
Have been wondering how things will be like.
Maybe nothing has changed at all...
But things never stay the same in life.
I am sure there are changes waiting for me to adapt to.
Anyway, saw real gorillas in the Dublin Zoo.
Super super adorable! The baby gorilla.
I think they are very fascinating.
The silverback is HUGE!
Labels: Ireland
s e n s e d @ 1:00 AM
Friday, May 09, 2008
Long Weekend
The 2nd long weekend in Ireland.
Spent going to 3 different places.
Place1 - Sat
City Centre - Trinity College
How wonderful it is to be able to study in a University that is situated right in the City Centre where there are all the shopping centres within short walking distances.
But I think it will feel funny that you have so many tourists streaming into your campus each day... and if you happen to be one doing some sports in the green field, or having your sandwiches on those lovely grass patches, you'll be like some sort of exhibition.
Agree?
Went on the World's Only Ghost Bus tour.
Cost us 25euro each.
Duration 2 hours.
But it was great fun.
Hear ghost stories of Dublin, visited the most haunted places.
Had dinner in Eddie Rockets - City Diner.
Similar to Billy Bombers.
Food taste good, but rather ex.
Place 2 - Sun
Malahide castle, Fry Model Railway, Tara Palace and Talbot Botanic Garden.
Malahide castle is well preserved.
The interior designs are fantastic.
Every single piece of wood that cover every inch of the wall are carved!
Lots of other grand things as well.
Fry Model Railway makes me feel very fascinated.
As a child, I once wished I had a room where I can build my own model railway, with trains that can move. Just like those seen on some english movies.
Now that I am able to see such thing with my very own eyes right in front of me... it just feels great.
The railway they have built, is gigantic. I think it is the biggest in the world.
Lots of fine details are taken into consideration for all the model trains made.
Tara Palace - it is actually a Doll House.
Took 10 years to build. Magnificent work!
Very very detailed...
Ancient people have very nice Doll Houses... even had those meant for travelling.
I wonder if they really like dolls so much.. so that it's like their child even when they have grown up..
Perhaps they are rich ladies' hobbies.
Talbot Botanic Garden has plants from all over the world.
200 types... don't know if that include the indigenous ones.
If only I had more time to take the photos... the garden closes too early!! 5.30pm.
We only had about 2 hours in there.
Don't know why, but I think there's this plant that reminds me of Shrek.
Had dinner at SuperMac's in town.
Man.. their chicken rocks!!
Taste so good!!! Unlike KFC's.
I will miss their chicken here...
Place 3 - Dun Laoghaire
Met up with my supervisor and 1 previous batch NP student who was over here for OIAP, for lunch at Dakota.
Lunch was treated by my supervisor! So nice!
Who say that caucasians always go dutch?
Don't know how much the bill was...
Drove us to Dun Laoghaire.
Nice seaside... took a short walk on the pier.
Showed us Dublin4 - the rich men's place.
What's even better was, he took us to his mother's house!!
Traditional Irish home.
Nice big garden, with a pond in the middle.
We were given white nice.. which is one of the best I have ever had.
Fruity, smooth.
Got tricked into accepting.
His brother who was there tricked us into it...
We politely declined a drink but our words got twisted.. so we ended up having a glass of wine.
But I am glad we had it.
Sat in the garden...
Had small talks...
A pair of wild ducks flew into the pond!
Lovely.
If my life was to be spent in a foreign country,
I would like a garden of similar sort.
I would have wine to sip and a book in hand, lazing in the sun.
I guess that's how their life is like...
Had a slice of cake in the house...
Listen to their very basic conversation - about family members, taxes etc.
His mother is a very kind and warm old lady, who doesn't seem to be really old.
Got a ride back to town... offered to send us back, but the jeep is too small to accommodate us and his son with his gf, whom he picked up in town.
Of course we got out... willingly.
Man.. his son is 19, has lots of beard.
Looks older than me.
Doesn't seem to be in a very good mood on that day.. so.. oh well...
but he is not bad looking.
Really.
Roughly that's all...
This is such a super long post...
Looking forward to the next long weekend which will be spent in Rome!!
Ciao~
for more photos.. go http://www.weisan.shutterfly.com Malahide album.Labels: Ireland
s e n s e d @ 12:52 AM
Thursday, May 01, 2008
First Pub
Bored.
Machine needed to run my very first plate of gene screening is being used.
There’s no point to do my plating since it is not recommended to leave plates outside for too long without running them. It decreases the efficiency and results obtained.
It’s week 10.
It’ll be time to go home very soon.
Feeling quite happy.
Anyway, managed to enter a pub here in Dublin.
Lots of exercise done before we got there finally.
Because there’s no signage at the entrance. Not a single one.
All that it’s got were 2 fire torches.
Looks impressive though.
4 Dame Lane.
Didn’t dare to enter initially.
No one that we know had arrived.
It was freezing cold outside, took a deep breathe and made our very first step into those rather huge wooden doors.
The age limit stated on the entrance is 23.
Headed straight in.
Phew~ there’s a reserved table for our office people.
Happily sat in the corner in a sleepy state, waiting for others to arrive.
Felt a little intimidated.
The bar tender kept looking over.
Tried to act normal anyway.
The first drink.
Appletini.
It costs €13.
It ended up as a treat from one of our colleague.
Had a Mexican beer – Corona.
It’s nice.
Very light.
It is to be drunk with a slice of lime put into the bottle of beer.
We were sitting right at the end of the pub and didn’t notice that it was filled to the max until we tried to make our way out.
But it was fun.
People really do relax a lot after a few drinks and conversations were unlike those that take place in the office.
I guess that’s why people like to go for drink together after work.Labels: Ireland
s e n s e d @ 1:15 AM
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Easter 2008
It's been a month...
Life has been good.
Good in the sense that I'm still healthy and kicking.
Though meals can be quite irregular at times,
especially on weekends, when we're out shopping.
Had a few good meals that were prepared by ourselves.
Chicken Japanese curry, Ma Po Tou Fu, Mushroom stew, pork chop.
Yummy...
Though cooking such meals always leave us stinking.
Simples meals were prepared on other days.
Fry vegetables, canned soup, soup cooked using a mixture of ingredients etc.
Rice.
Yes, surely there must be rice to go with such dishes right?
Rice is being cooked using microwave.
I'll be an expert by the time I get back to S'pore.
Canteen food is rather good...
The staple, potatoes.
They do serve rice on certain days.
Laundry...
Light coloured ones are hand washed...
The rest are done within the washing machine on Wednesdays or Thursdays.
It's funny how those clothes are able to dry when left in a small room with little ventilation.
It's not cheap... 1.5 euro per laundry chip.
So now we load as much as we can. =P
Work use to start at 8.30am, and could be as early as 7.30am.
Don't be mistaken, our supervisor didn't torture us.
The timing is decided by us.
He didn't specify any timing at all.
My project in charge comes in earliest around 9.30am.
So as long as I get there before him, it'll be alright.
There isn't much to do for the past 1 week plus, hence we only get in by 9am.
Shiok right?! Hahaha...
The short week is over, the week with St Patrick's Monday and Good Friday.
St Patrick's parade was good.
The atmosphere is so so much different from that we have from Chingay.
Almost everyone heads to the City Centre to watch the parade, or just hang/roam around.
Didn't get a very good view though.
Got there too late... reason being, would not like to be reminded of it.
Booked a tour for the Good Friday - Easter Monday break.
Though Melvin did invite SJ and I to join them at London.
Since we paid 100euro each for the visa, why not make the full use of it to stay in Ireland?
But the tour is great. GREAT!
Scenes that are only seen on movies, paintings, documentaries are seen by my own eyes.
Kissed the Blarney Stone, one of the 99 things to do before dying as stated by National Geographic Channel.
It is suppose to bless me with the Gift of Eloquence.
Saw where Titanic's last port of call.
Touched the architecture, oratory, built by the early Christians of Ireland.
Stepped on the Inch Beach, where Ryan's Daughter was filmed, I have no idea what movie that is.
But the beach is lovely. There's water on it!
Paid 3.50 euro for a scoop of the best Ice Cream of Ireland, Murphy's.
Tasted Ireland's best Irish Coffee at the Red Fox Inn.
Tried Irish Stew and Bailey.
Had full Irish Breakfast and stayed in a typical Irish home for 2 nights.
Ate the traditional Fish and Chip in one of the typical take away outlet which seem to be rather popular.
Sat on Ireland's train.
Done and seen lots and lots of things within the 3 days.
The things and scenes seen are not easily descriable, and I think words will never be able to express how I really feel about it.
Never can the photos taken capture the real beauty of everything that had appeared before my eyes.
Ireland's Cork and Killarney - Dingle Peninsula and Ring of Kerry are lovely places to visit.
Now that the long weekend is over, there won't be anymore more long holidays.
Probably a 3 days weekend.
That will be the time to visit Dublin's attractions.
Seen so much... enjoyed so much that I can't tell how much that is.
But I still miss many things back in S'pore.
Guess which dish I miss eating... Chicken Rice. Hahaha... really!
I miss bathroom with toilet in it.
It's so troublesome to want to go toilet in the middle of a bath.
I miss taking SBS bus to get home when it's already quite late at night.
The familiarity and ease of doing things without fears of getting lost.
I miss the feeling of getting out the moment I am ready.
Shall write more on my next entry which I will not know when,
Pei Fen, happy? I did post ok?
Ming Kai, I updated already hor?!
Labels: Feelings, Ireland, Reflections
s e n s e d @ 10:44 PM
