To all me posse at da UVa...

I've never been particularly spectacular with goodbyes, but to all those with whom I've shared the last 4 months at UVa, I just want to say thank you to each and every one of you for making this one hellUVa experience (*groan* - bad jokes galore at 4am). I'm really exhausted (3-4 hours of sleep the night before and a taxi to catch in perhaps another 2 to 2 and a half hours) but somehow I think not completing this entry before leaving would be inappropriate.

So here goes.

SMU Exchange Kids

To Jeremy and Liying: Thanks for all the memories, doing just about everything together on this trip. Short of finding me a Scarlett Johansson lookalike, you guys were just about the best exchange buddies one could ask for. From whining about jobs/jobs/nojobs to poker to trading/astronomy to everything about life in general, you guys will be etched in my memory, for better or for worse. Probably the latter.



The Carltons

To Dan, Emily, Frances, Allie and Will: You guys have been amazing (or to paraphrase my American friends: "awesome!") in both having the most well-adjusted, kind-spirited family in the world and in also sharing that part of your world with us. Showing us the sights of Charlottesville with your family gave us the chance to live as children once again (albeit ridiculously oversized ones) and amongst all the gifts that you've given us, recapturing that sense of wonder is perhaps the most precious of them all.



The 5 Guys

To Andrew: Thanks for introducing us to the other 2 incredible guys and friends that you have. For a future President, you've acted in a manner that's incredibly hospitable, warming relations between our 2 countries. Driving up to DC and being willing to put up with our crazy shopping expeditions (I blame Jem and Liying), bringing us to football games and chomping 5 Guys burgers with us will always be something I remember. Oh, and that shot of you chuggin' champagne from the bottle. Priceless.

To Joon: You silly Korean, we love you to bits. You're probably one of the few people in the whole world where everyone universally agrees that you're too good a person for your own good (including letting people wear your pants so they can walk home in the freezing cold). You've been great fun babbling nonsense and TV shows with, and I'll definitely miss having someone to talk to about random ideas and topics. Get your visa status sorted, we'll see you in Singapore.

To Alex: Now that I'm safely outside the reach of your wrath, I just want to say that you have a priceless surname (Mr Goodenough, I kid you not). Thanks for entertaining us with your very priceless drinking routines - the Jekyll and Hyde changes never cease to amuse and entertain vey single one of us, 'til the day. Happy drinking, don't drink and drive and take bites when chomping on tasty burgers in future. Erm, that's all, really.



We, the citizens of Singapore (and some say Malaysia boleh!)

To Clara: Feisty girl with lots of attitude and some say, even more money. Thanks for stealing all my ice-cream and borrowing all my Arrested Development DVDs. Erm, why am I thanking you? Okay okay, seriously, thanks for feeding us and hanging out with us and listening to us whine about jobs. We look forward to some makan times in Singapore.

To Mun: Why you now then hang out one?!?!?! It's a pity we couldn't really get to know each other earlier but thanks very much for buying me a buffet dinner at everybody's favourite dining hall, Newcomb. For a Malaysian, you rock a lot. Serious (pronounced see-ry-yers for effect). Come back to Singapore soon, you illegal immigrant - we'll eat Johnson Duck then.

To Helen: Thanks for trying to arrange activities to include all of us exchange kids even though we've not exactly been the most receptive of audiences. Erm, whoops. It's been fun talking to you at ridiculous hours in the morning and attending events promoted or organized by yourself (although Celestial sucked, haha). Learn more Hokkien, you'll understand why "The Best Bet" is so ridiculously funny.

To Shu'en, Candice and Jenn: I'm grouping all of you together because I'm pretty darn tired and lazy. To all the ones in the Comm school, please remember me for more than being someone you can turn to for finance questions late at night. You have all provided much entertainment in your own ways, ranging from Shu'en's blurness to Candice's need to wear 10 layers of clothing in weather that's 15 degrees celsius to Jenn desperately trying to explain how the SPH works as an organisation. Now go forth and do the Singaporean thing and erm, procreate? No, seriously, go forth and do us proud.

The British Lasses, or King Charlie's Angels

To Michelle, Sujata and Sian: Exchange with you guys was wonderful and we wouldn't have given up the chance to have been here with you amigos...unless the alternative was Keira Knightley, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman. You ladies have been lovely, treating us to your homestyled cooking and participating in random poker nights and screenings of movies. And of course, balancing the guy-girl ratio so we get into frat parties. Whatever will we do without you lifesavers?



Neighbourly type
To all my neighbours: You guys are absolutely insane and that's why you guys have been so wonderfully weird and entertaining. I've had fun discussing all sorts of history lessons, political lessons (from the perspective of Republicans no less!) and great exposure to American life. Thanks for the extra t-shirt and yes, visit Singapore some time, as some of us have a tendency to say. No excuses!



I probably have more but blogging at the computer makes you tired. And it's 5:30am - time to go hail a cab, methinks...