It’s been a month since I’ve been here. Stayed in this room that belongs to me for the next 2 years and rolled around it that it has my scent now. My cupboard does not seem so empty anymore with the number of clothes I have in there, filled with more knit wear, thermal wear and winter wear. I wish Singapore had 4 seasons. Its fun to have summer but I love fall/winter wear too. Merino wool and cashmere and all the soft knits are just my kind of thing. But I do miss my summer dresses back in my cupboard back home.

Well, tonight we had a Mid Autumn Festival celebration in school till late that the doors for our building got locked we had to exit via the underground of the teaching building at the hospital. It was not as boring as I thought it would have been, considering how studious my classmates are and how I am not the sort who treats my books as my best friend. I believe in, all work and no play makes Jane a plain girl but at the same time, there has to be a time where we have to be serious. I’m trying to study more each day but somehow, I just keep spending a lot of time to get one topic done. And the topics covered each day just multiplies that its becoming a mountain now. Everyday at the end of the day, I encourage myself, telling myself that it’s ok, slow and steady. But it is overwhelming. No words can describe the amount of pressure and the lack of sleep. Yes, sleep is important to me. I need 8 hours of sleep but 8am lessons and 6.15am morning calls. It isn't looking good.

I’m beginning to settle down more and am definitely more used to the lifestyle here as compared to 2 weeks ago. Everything now comes naturally, though sometimes I do get a little frustrated but what’s life if everything runs so smoothly right?

The kitchen has become my hideaway. I find peace when I cook. When I use the knife and slice the onions finely, and mince the pork, and the sound of the sizzling food on the wok. Somehow, my mind is just taken away from the voice nagging behind my head about how much there is to be done, how much I want to prove myself, how much I miss home etc. And, I have realised, sitting beside the washing machine and just seeing if the colour runs and reading acupuncture actually puts me in a Zen state. I have found an avenue to just shut off from the stress. Thankfully.

Next, I aim to finish off my endless work. Have a fruitful experience at Mongolia, come back and finish off the midterms. Then I’m going to start hunting for classes once a week and the parquet floored room with mirrors, the dance studio. Hopefully I can find classes that have a pay as you come. So if classes do get heavy, I can skip without feeling the pain. But then again, once a week shouldn’t be a problem. When I had to teach from 12-7pm every Saturdays and attend twice a week nightly classes back home. What is no time, when I had less time in back home in Singapore.

Alright, I’d better get to bed, I have to get up early tomorrow and brave the Mid Autumn crowd to go to the warehouse place to see if they have cheap knitwear.

Good night world, and Happy Mid Autumn Festival from Beijing at Zi Fang Yuan.