greetings from Yale!

Payne Whitney Gym - indoor basketball courts

Payne Whitney Gym - indoor track

one thing that amanda got right is that she said it's probably very interesting to be a fly here on the wall at Yale. it's very apt and true. I'm actually happy not to say nothing at all sometimes, just to observe and listen closely to what people say. i've been wanting to blog everyday to show pictures of what i see and record what i hear but i've just been so busy experiencing it that i've found it hard to sit down and write about it. i'm not complaining. in fact, i think i should do myself justice by just soaking in it while i can. let me just say that the food here at Yale is fantastic, nothing like the crappy food in NUS halls. and trust me when i say the desserts are even better than those you find at NYDC and what not. the bestest and most alarming is that it's buffet style for all 3 meals. i'm going to be a fatso when i get back but it's ok i'm going to live my life to the fullest now. besides, the gym is really fantastic:

Payne Whitney Gym exterior

much more majestic that my phone camera can capture, but trust me, it feels like a castle standing in front of it. hard to imagine the modern equipment and large arrays of machines inside. didn't dare to take a picture of the actual gym - don't want to be such an overt suakoo haha.

Linsly Chittenden - Classroom

Linsly Chittenden - interior

here's where my classes are held. the whole physical presence of the place awakens the intellectual in you; it becomes no longer an ostentious pursuit, but reminds you that knowledge and the spirit of inquiry and debate is the essence of being alive.

random street views on my way to school

(yes all the buildings are this breathtaking- even more so than what u see)

random street sights around the neighbourhood

just remember that no matter how deceivingly sunny it looks, it's really chilly. i'm getting used to it now and loving the weather. it's the best of both worlds with the sun reining in the audacity of the cold. same street, but the latter is actually a much colder day than the former:


way back to Morse

roomy comfy spacy Morse Library, taken from the second level.

haven't been to the heavenly Sterling Memorial Library, but i know that it's more breathtaking than any library you will see, just looking at the exterior. i promise photos soon! and yes, i walk past the Harkness Tower everyday and i take a photo everytime i walk past because her beauty never ceases to stop my feet from going further. i may not be an architect but as a living human being attuned to the notion of beauty, i can't help myself.

okay enough hard selling of Yale, time to dig into Plato's Gorgias for Evil class. can i add that Yale is really big on copyright laws that they charge you for copyright on top of printing services? the coursepack for Evil costs USD36.5 (without binding) and USD42 (with binding) on top of 4 books to buy and read. woolala. but i think the money is well spent. being here just convinces me that knowledge is worth the price to pay.

oh btw, we watched Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors last night for Evil too and i'm in love with that genius. this Saturday, the writing and film students (me included coz investigative journalism) are given tickets to go to the screening of "When the Levees broke" and to meet the director Spike Lee. the man himself. gosh. exciting.

sorry for the randomness. it's 1am here in New Haven and 1pm in Singapore.

oh can i re-enact this conversation i had with kristopher from my Investigative Journalism class?

me: you know i found it weird that sirens go off every hour without fail here in New Haven

Kris: (grins broadly) well, this is New Haven for you. I actually come from Middlefield where my neighbours are a mile away and the population of cows is equal to the human population. so what i hear all the time are not sirens but

Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

i was hysterical. hahahahahahaaha