Entry 2: People-Meeting, People-Trying

I'm in my room rubbing self-tanning lotion all over my arms and torso right now.

It wasn't exactly a rub-self-tanning-lotion-over-arms-and-body night, but I decided to turn down the offer to go for a party with my roommate Tommy. I bought them 3 crates of Bud Lite and half a bottle of Jagermeister though. I think I have destroyed the lives of five college kids, but then again, they're just paying half of what I am so I suppose they could afford another go at college.

I've been attending more ISS (International Students and Scholars, don't get me wrong, I'm just the student) activities than I do Boiler Gold Rush, but mainly because I know at ISS activities, the people are mostly in the same plight as me, travelling at least a dozen thousand kilometres to study here, unlike the bacon-headed rock junkies they have in abundance. And then maybe try my luck at meeting international babes, and hopefully see a Singaporean or two.

People I've met so far:

Tommy Kondrat - my roommate. Has drunk vodka but never beer. His parents are cool though, but they asked me to take him in hand and watch him if he drinks. Which I didn't do.

Alex Bridges - there's a kind of person that, when you meet them, you know you two will definitely hit off relatively well. This guy is like the Western version of me: loves electronica (i.e. trance), retro music (they mostly hate disco music here), Japanese cars (i.e. Suzuki Capps, RX-7s, Subarus). Speaks a little German like I do too. Life wouldn't be the same if I hadn't met him - I probably would have gone postal on the third day here.

Numa - A Thai girl who came to talk to me after she saw my Sai Yok Camp shirt. Her origins are highly dubious though: she doesn't know anything about Kanchanaburi. OR at least that's what I think.

Lokesh - the first Singaporean I met so far. Studied in RJC, took F Maths and stuff. I've been sticking to him quite a lot for activities because I need a good dose of Singlish to stay alive. It's like a drug you know, Singlish.

Sheryar - Pakistani guy who's probably the mugger toad type, but he's humourous, as in my kind of humour, the witty indirect and insensitive kind.

Heidi - Taiwanese girl who's always looking lost during activities. She speaks real good English though, I probably would have thought she's an ABC if she didn't tell me she's from Taiwan. And she owes me a McDonald's meal.

Ismael - Spanish-speaking guy from Peru. Oh wait, they all speak Spanish there. He's a lonely guy too, so he's been sticking with me for the whole Wal-Mart trip this morning.

Ingrid - hot Australian babe with a cool name on a four month exchange program. I mean, who else do you know who's called Ingrid, except that girl who sings Tu Es Foutu that they always play in gay clubs. I might consider calling my daughter Ingrid too.

We had a trip to Wal-Mart this morning, where I bought a lot of rubbish. But it has opened my eyes and made me think about stuff too. It wasn't really that far from my campus, about 25 minutes drive down from the nearest point on campus. The things there mainly come in jumbo sizes and multi-packs and stuff, and I think I have an inkling why. The distances here, unlike in Singapore, are hugely extended and magnified, so a "short drive" for them would be roughly be about three hours. So when you think about it, they probably don't have much time driving around all the time to get groceries, so stuff comes in jumbo packs so they last longer, especially during winter.

Been trying hard to mix in with the crowd here, blasting Korn's Coming Undone With It to act like I'm a rocker dude and speaking with a little slang.

Just an afterthought: how do you pronounce tomato? If you realised, there's actually three pronunciations:

The English pronounce it to-mah-to (do they, Huishan? Or at least that's what I heard the hot Brit chick in front of me in the line pronounce)

The American pronounce it to-may-to

Singaporeans? They pronounce it to-meh-to.

Don't believe? Go Econ Minimart listen lah.