Life at Bellerbys College

Graduating Class of Year 2011

 

Pleasure is the flower that passes;

remembrance, the lasting perfume.

-Jean de Boufflers

 

Don’t you feel that sometimes time passes so fast and before you realise it, you’ve reached the end of yet another stage of your life?

Indeed, in the blink of an eye, all the exams ended as swiftly as they came by. And right when we have just gotten used to the daily routine: getting morning calls from everyone to wake up early, be one of the first to reach Jubilee Library for a day’s worth of mugging and then finally the long awaited break time over the dinner table - right when we thought that this could continue on forever, we realised that people have started to dump all their files, notes and textbooks into the recycling bins and luggage are packed awaiting for the storage company to come and collect them. The obvious explanation: Exams have ended.

It’s a wonder for a moment how you tried thinking back on when the exams have actually started, but to no avail, it seems too long ago that all lessons have stopped, we went on study break and our papers started just too soon.

Sometimes, you wished you had more time, maybe not entirely to be used for studying but also you wished that you had the time to spend with your friends, say your proper goodbyes and not just leave in a hurry right after your last paper.

Where are you catching the train to? What’s the hurry? The long summer awaits you. The thing you probably have the most right now is: time. You got all the time in the world.

Well, the last fond memory I had before the main exams came by is probably the May Ball. This year’s theme was A NIGHT IN PARIS. It was probably the last formal gathering we had as the graduation class of year 2011. As such, the night was filled with everyone searching for their friends and grabbing each other for photos. Of course, I was no exception too. :)

 

MAY BALL 2011: A NIGHT IN PARIS

From left: Kana Maniwa, Eunice Aw, Me, Wong Yan Chi and Sylvia Liao

 

From left: Sylvia Liao, Wong Yan Chi, Ayda Borjian, Me

 

Livia Chou and Stephanie Alexandra Morphew

 

Abdul and Jonathan Hui

 

Toh Shi Jie, Queena Wong and Wong Wen Kai

 

Marcy Zhao, John Lau, Wong Yan Chi and Murad Khalimov

 

Joanna Zhang, Tina Huan and Artin Jalooli

Jacky Yip and Alan Chan

 

Reshveen Rajendran and Mai Osuga

Taekeun Cho, Wong Yan Chi, Hisham Talib and Weeny Nguyen

 

Yvonne Cheung, Cloud Vu and Jamie Tan

 

Nelson Ten, Eunice Aw, Sarah Gopal and Shriveena Naidu

Wong Yoon Cherng Billy and Chonsen Mok

Eunice Aw and Wong Yan Chi

 

From left: Chonsen Mok, Eunice Aw, Wong Yan Chi, Me and Wong Yoon Cherng Billy

 

This year's May Ball experience was quite different from last year mainly because Eunice and I have moved out to the college residence, into private accommodation aka one of the flats near our college. As such, we decided that all of us (Me, Eunice, Yan Chi and Mok) shall go to Billy's room in the college residence to prepare for the May Ball. Haha it's amusing to see how both the girls and guys rush for time and helping each other to get dressed and prepared for the ball. They say that the time has come when even guys care as much as girls about their appearance too. HAHA

 

So after both the May Ball and exams have ended and everyone all gone, I stayed back for a couple of weeks to tour around the UK with my mom and my friend who have came over. We went to places like Manchester, Oxford, Sevens Sisters, London and etc. We even managed to go for the Harry Potter and the Death Hallows Part 2 London Premiere at Trafalgar Square!

 

Also, I got to meet and catch up with a couple of friends after everyone has gone back home...

Me and Ka Hong Yan Fang Fang

Taekeun Cho and Long Pham

 

I think my two years in Bellerbys is definitely a memorable one. I've made great friends, met lots of great people and learnt many life lessons.

I started out in September 2009 for a 6-term A levels course and throughout the 6 terms I see many people leaving and coming. Especially after the summer term in June 2010 when many of my good friends left for university because they were either in a 3-term A level course or in the Foundation programme.

But then, in the A2 year, I made new good friends and became closer with many people who were once just acquaintances. That's the funny thing about life, things come and go, good things do go, but better things still come in the end. Imagine that all of us were from different intakes, September 2009, January 2010 and April 2010, but in the end, our lives still crossed paths, we strived through the exam period together and eventually ended all at the same time: June 2011.

From left: Chonsen Mok, Wong Yoon Cherng Billy, Me, Eunice Aw and Wong Yan Chi

 

 

Teaching Staff

And of course, not to forget the teaching staff which made everything possible...

To Mr. Corcut, our A level Programme Manager and also the Vice Principal, thank you for your dedication to us students. Whenever I needed help and advice in my studies and academic related things, you are always there for me. I like how you are very approachable towards the students and we can discuss any matters with you easily. You not only dealed with the A level students academic work, you were also involved in the Student Council, Medics Meeting and other matters like our Voluntary Work. For that, I salute you for supporting us in everything we do.

As I move on now to the next stage in my life, I would bring along with me what you have taught me so far. And the most memorable lesson of all (which is also coincidentally what you taught us in the very first Medics Meeting) would be: Sine Qua Non, which translates to "without which there is nothing".

 

To my Chemistry teacher, Dr. Andrews, thank you for your effort in always being so accommodative to our pleas and moans for our tests, mocks and homework. Haha my most memorable moments with you would be the times when you always have to encourage us to use the StudySmart application to get our past papers and additional notes. Thank you also for always being there for us whenever we need help in Chemistry during the exam period when all lessons have stopped.

To my Physics teacher, Dr. Cameron thank you for making Physics so easily digestible for me by keeping me interested with lots of outside knowledge because towards the end, I find myself being fascinated and amused with lots of Physics concepts. And that ultimately fuelled my interest in taking up this subject till the very end.

To my Biology teacher, Ms. Kingham, thank you for always keeping Biology lessons so interactive with all the games, quizzes and activities in class. I really appreciated it because subjects like Biology can be very dry at times but you never fail to keep us interested in it with all the stuff you have prepared for us.

 

And for my two History teachers, Mr. Baker and Mr. Knight... Thank you for making History my second most favourite subject. Haha really. I really enjoyed History lessons because they are so different from the other classes which I take. Thank you Mr. Baker for your notes with the funniest (and maybe weirdest haha) photos in them which always got us laughing real hard. Thank you Mr. Knight for always being so friendly and approachable whenever I needed help in History, even when you are not teaching me anymore.

Also to my Maths teacher, Dr. Fisher whom I have unfortunately not had the chance to take a photo with, thank you for being so patient with us for these 2 years especially with all our jokes in maths class. Thank you for willing to actually take the time to sit down and explain to us the maths questions slowly when we can't solve them. I am really grateful towards you in all the effort you have put in for us because you will always be willing to help us whenever we needed help.

 

Thank you Bellerbys for this 2 years worth of fun, peace, joy and laughter and most importantly, 2 years worth of memories which would last me for a life time.

 

And right when you think that everything has come to the end, in fact, it isn't!

The best is yet to be.

Because...

2 weeks after college have ended, we had our very own gathering in Singapore.

Yes, We got everyone to fly from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan and Vietnam and all meet up in Singapore!

And as for the Singaporeans, we became the tour guides of course!

 

Graduation Trip in Singapore

Guys sitting the MRT train in Singapore (equivalent to London's tube).

From left: Wong Wen Kai, Jacky Yip, Long Pham, Chonsen Mok, Gordon Loo, Alan Chan and John Lau.

 

We also went to the newly opened Universal Studios in Singapore.

From left: Wong Yan Chi, Queena Wong, Kana Maniwa, Eunice Aw and Me

 

 

From left: Alan Chan, Gordon Loo, Jacky Yip and Jason Soong

 

Jacky Yip and John Lau

Wong Yan Chi and Eunice Aw

 

Gordon Loo and John Lau singing K

 

Me and Kana Maniwa

 

Kana Maniwa, Jonathan Hui and Queena Wong

Wong Wen Kai and Alan Chan

 

Alan Chan and Me

 

Wong Yoon Cherng Billy, Chonsen Mok and Jonathan Hui

 

Me and Wong Yan Chi

Wong Yoon Cherng Billy and Chonsen Mok

 

Chonsen Mok, Wong Yan Chi, Eunice Aw and Wong Yoon Cherng Billy

 

Group photo of us!

 

Haha the guys hugging before they depart!

 

Me, Eunice Aw, Wong Yan Chi, Wong Yoon Cherng Billy and Chonsen Mok

From left: Jonathan Hui, Hisham Talib, Eunice Aw, Long Pham, Kana Maniwa, Wong Wen Kai, Reshveen Rajendran, Chonsen Mok, Wong Yan Chi, Me and Wong Yoon Cherng Billy

 

ALL OF US!

1st row from the front: Toh Shi Jie, Wong Wen Kai

Second row: Wong Yoon Cherng Billy, Jonathan Hui, Queena Wong, Kana Maniwa, Me and Wong Yan Chi

Third row: John Lau, Long Pham, Eunice Aw, Gordon Loo, Jacky Yip, Chonsen Mok and Alan Chan

 

AND WITH THAT THE GRADUATING CLASS OF YEAR 2011 HAS OFFICIALLY BECAME HISTORY

 

Signing off for the last time,
Belinda Ong

 

Belinda studied A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton

Royal Wedding Holiday BBQ at Brighton Beach

 Posted by Belinda @ Bellerbys Brighton

   

 

On the 29 April 2011, we had a holiday because of the Royal Wedding in the UK!

As such, a group of us decided to go down to the beach and have a BBQ.

Fortunately, the sun was out and the weather was simply great!

 

    

Beef burger!

 

  

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

  

 

  

 

    

 

   

BBQ-ing marshmallows!

 

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

At this point of time, I would say that it is an intersection between both memories and dreams. 

We are at the cross roads of our lies now where we will soon go our seperate ways and chase our dreams and aspirations that we have longed to achieve. 

As our graduation day looms nearer and nearer, we find ourselves scrambling to create as many memories as possible.

Perhaps it's just humans' nature to realise that we ought to cherish what we have been given when the end is just round the corner. 

Maybe beacause we are afraid of losing everything which brought us this far. 

Hence, we try to make full use of what we have so that we would not regret later in life.

 

As we watched the sun set and looked across the water, we know in our hearts that this will yet be another memorable moment which we will cherish and remember in time to come...

 

Belinda is studying A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton 

Easter Break to Dublin, Ireland - Previous Term Recap (Part 2)

Posted by Belinda @ Bellerbys Brighton

So after the mid-term break last term, the long awaited end of term break, aka Easter break, soon arrived too.

To celebrate the end of term and the start of our 2-week holiday, my housemate and I decided to throw another end-of-term house party and invited everyone over. Similar to last time, all of us decided to cook the food ourselves.

I actually prefer doing this although it might seem very troublesome. However, I think that cooking with your friends is a very good opportunity to learn and appreciate each other’s cultures. Besides, other than being able to try food of different races and cultures, I came to this conclusion that cooking is a great time for bonding as we showcased our co-operation and tolerance for each other while preparing the food.

 

 

Okay, enough said about the food. So other than having the house party, this Easter I also decided to go on a trip with Lee, my Taiwanese friend who was an ex-Bellerbys student and who is now studying in the University of Edinburgh. It has been months since we last met up at the end of last year when I went to Scotland to find her during my other mid term break. 

The main reason why I have been wanting to go to Ireland is actually due to the film P.S I LOVE YOU. I remember watching it a while back and being mesmerised by the sceneries and landscapes in their various scenes. 

In Ireland, we went to Dublin which is the capital city and also the largest city. 

 

This is the main shopping centre, St. Stephens Green Shopping Centre.

Before the trip, we found out that the Guinness beer originated from Ireland.  So we decided to make a trip down to the Guinness Storehouse since it is also the top attraction in Dublin.

 

 

 

At the Guinness Storehouse, we had the opportunity to pour own own pint of Guinness beer and we even received a certificate for that too. Apparently, pouring a pint is not as simple as it may seemed to be, because for the fact that you have tilt the glass 45 degrees and slowly straighten it as it fills. Next, you even have to wait for the beer to settle before finally topping the glass up one last time. Before this, I thought it was just merely a one-step process. 

We also went to Temple Bar which is a popular area filled with lots of bars and restaurants.
It is also known as "Dublin's cultural quarter".

 
St. Stephens Green 

Also, I personally feel that the Wicklow Mountains is a must visit place as many of the scenes of P.S I LOVE YOU were shot at there. 

 

The photo on the far left is a shot of the Guinness Lake. It is called the Guinness Lake as the colour water looks blue-black and hence people think that it is just like the Guinness beer.  

At the Wicklow Mountains, we also visited Glendalough and the Avoca Village. 

 

  

And finally, we concluded our journey with our last destination - the Avoca Handweavers Mill.

 

Belinda is studying A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton

Paris, The City of Lights and Love - Previous Term Recap (Part 1)

Posted by Belinda @ Bellerbys Brighton      

                            

It’s already my last term in Bellerbys and in around 6 more weeks' time, everything will come to an end.

It seems like it was just yesterday when I first entered Bellerbys in September 2009.

Well, I guess time really flies. 

The previous term was yet as hectic as this term.

But still, I managed to catch my breath by making it a point to go on an escapade, relieving myself from all academic related stress.

I feel that having a work-life balance is essential, as obviously, we do not want to over-work ourselves.

And hence, I believe that as much as there is always time to work hard, there is equally as much time to play hard too. 

So during the end of February mid-term break, I went to France to visit Paris and Versailles. It was rather a romantic experience, especially for the fact that Paris is well known for being The City of Lights and Love.  Of course, I did not go with my lover. Instead, I went with a friend from Bellerbys, Jocelyn, who is coincidentally my secondary schoolmate too. I remember ourselves being so ecstatic when we reached Paris. We have heard so much about it and had high expectations…

We visited a few of the top attractions in Paris, namely the Notre Dam Cathedral, River Seine, the Louvre Museum, Ladurée and of course, not to forget, the most popular attraction of all, the Eiffel Tower!

   
Notre Dam Cathedral and River Seine

 

    

The Louvre Museum where the world famous Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci is hung. 

 

 

   

Ladurée which is known as the inventor of macarons and one of the top macaron makers in the world.

 

 

 

And of course, the Eiffel Tower!

 

Apart from Paris, we also visited Versailles which was nearby Paris.

 

Versailles Sunday Market

 

   

 

We also went to the Versailles Garden where the scenery was so breathtaking.

 

   

The place was really huge and thankfully, the Sun was out and the weather was simply perfect.

As we strolled down the garden and admired the scenery, we made a promise to come back to France and visit Paris together again in the future.

And this time, with our spouses... =))

      

Jocelyn!

 

Belinda is studying A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton

Bellerbys College Brighton Carnival

Posted by Belinda @ Bellerbys Brighton

For this post, I will give an insight of our recent college carnival...

In February 2011, a carnival was held in Bellerbys College Brighton to help raise funds for Building Futures - the college charity which builds schools in developing countries.

This carnival was organised by us, the Student Council members and open to the students, staff and the public.

Since the start of the spring term, we have been meeting actively to get the carnival all in place.

Although the going was quite tedious as we had to make time out from our January exams too, it was overall a very commendable and worthwhile effort by each and everyone of us, all in the name of charity.

Besides, this is our first major project which we have embarked on!

 

On the actual day itself:

From the left: Kana dressed up as a fairy, Zuzana & Kana posing together!

 

Jamie, Sharlene and Abdul at the food booth!

Other than selling entry tickets for the carnival to help raise funds, we also sold coupons for food and games and not to forget, the raffles aka lucky draw tickets too.

The prizes for the raffles were sponsored by various organisations including our very own college.

For starters, let me first introduce to you some of the games which had in the carnival.

 

HIT-THE-CANS:

Amy at the Hit-The-Cans booth! 

To make the game more interesting, we even stuck photos of the various staff members (including the principal, vice-principal and the teachers) on the cans!

 

 

Can you recgonise your teachers on the cans? :)

 

Our principal, Mr. Addison, even brought his son to the carnival and both of them tried playing the games too!

 

HIT-THE-BANANA: 

The aim of this game is to try getting the banana to knock down the bottle on the floor!

It's really hilarious looking at people shaking their butts and swinging the banana all over. :P

 

OTHER GAMES:

  

 

 

Ping Pong, Pool and Guitar Hero!

 

SUMO WRESTLING:

Long as a sumo wrestler!

The college even specially purchased 2 sumo wrestling suits for the carnival! 

To be a sumo wrestler, you have to stuff pillows inside the suits and pump in air to make you look all puffed up and fluffly! 

I remember that 3 people had to even help me put on the suits!

 

WET SPONGES:

 

A few teachers had kindly volunteered themselves to be thrown wet sponges at by the students!

I really admire their courage because at the end of the day, they seemed to be all so drenched and battered.

But once again, it's all in the name of charity! :)

 

And some of the other hits of the day include...

Hair Dyeing by Mrs Webber and Mrs Robinson!

  

 

Hair shaving and even beard shaving!

 

And some of the perfomances by both the staff and the student bodies...

 

Tap dancing by Mrs Riach and a lovely song sang by Veronica!

 

Not to forget, the Brighton Mayor who had graced the carnival with his presence and taking part in so many of the games and events!

From left: The Mayor even tried putting on the sumo wrestling suits! + Kana with the Mayor!

The Mayor was present during the beard shaving event and even tried playing the Wet Sponges too!

 

And of course, last but not least...

The Grand Raffle Draw which everyone had been waiting for!

 

Prizes to be won were gym passes, and there were even ipod shuffles and kindles for the grand prizes!

One of my friend was so lucky that she won both the ipod shuffle and the kindle and this got everyone all so jealous! :P

 

To sum up, the college carnival was a great display of unity between the student and staff bodies where everyone participated actively and gave in their best to raise funds!

A great success! 

Belinda is studying A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton

Fab, Fab, Fabulous February!

Posted by Belinda @ Bellerbys Brighton

For most of us Asians, February is one of the busiest month of the year.

This is due to the fact that one of the biggest festival of the year lies in the month of February.

And it's no other than... the CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR!

Having been in Brighton since 2009, I have not been able to celebrate the Chinese lunar new year with my family and relatives ever since.

There are a few traditions that we carry out during the lunar new year, which includes spring cleaning, reunion dinners and for most children and teenagers, the part which we have pretty much been anticipating for throughout the year is none other than... receiving red packets!

In Singapore, it is a custom/tradition in which families would go around visiting the senior members/elders of their respective extended families.

There, family members who are married would then give red packets (containing cash) to their juniors who will mostly be children and teenagers. 

So of course, although we might not be back home to celebrate the festival with our families, a chinese lunar new year celebration here is definitely not to be missed!

As such, my housemate and I decided to throw a party at our house!

14 people celebrating Chinese New Year with a blast!

We gathered friends over and some of us decided to cook some of our countries' delicacies!

Fried rice
Sugar and vinegar pork ribs
Kimchi Pancake
Minced pork
Dark sauce pork and mushroom
Sushi
Bulgogi 

Steamboat

Pizzas

Honey joys

It was definitely a memorable new year party!

 

Visit from a friend

Also, in the month of February, an old friend of mine (from Singapore) paid me a visit. 

She came over to the UK for some of her university interviews and decided to stop by Brighton!

This is Valerie and I have known her for practically most of my life, all the way back to since Kindergarten!

I brought her to one of the Chinese restaurants in Brighton to satisfy her hunger for some Singapore's/Malaysia's local food!

 

Visit to the Brighton Marina

And not to forget, having been here for close to a year and a half already, I finally went to check out the Brighton Marina!

I really love the peace and tranquility there.

I have to make a small confession here...

Actually, the main purpose of going to the Marina with my friend is to...

Indulge in cakes!

As such, we had a major pig out with so many beautiful cakes!

I was overwhelmed by the display of mouthwatering cakes present! :)

And of course, not to forget... Valentine's Day in February!

2 of my classmates even came over to bake cookies for their friends!

So this year, I celebrated Valentine's Day with a good friend if mine whom I have known ever since the first day of school!

    

This is Regina from Macau, an ex-Bellerbys student who was in Art Foundation year.

She's currently in university studying Architecture! 

I guess that pretty much concludes my entire February!

Seems like February is such a heart-warming month huh? ☺

Belinda is studying A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton

Post Spring Exams & Birthday Fun!

Posted by Belinda @ Bellerbys Brighton

"Don’t look back at the past defeats that will get you down.

Don’t look back at the old victories and think you have arrived."

This was my two upmost principles which I held as I strived through the entire examination period until my very last paper.

So I’ve finally ended my spring exams!  It has been quite a while since I last felt so relaxed. 

Come to think of it, I’m actually quite fortunate because it also just so happens that my last paper fell on my birthday itself.

So of course, after ending my spring exams, rewarding myself for all my hard work (from the mugging through the winter holidays till my last paper towards the end of January) is definitely a must. With that, I took a break off from work and enjoyed myself pretty.

My theory on having a well-balanced work-life: One must work hard but at the same time play hard as well. So after my last paper, I threw a birthday dinner at an Italian restaurant and invited 10 friends over to celebrate with me. It was a blast!

I haven’t met up with a few in ages and so the dinner was a good time for us to do some catching up which was really great. Adding to the fact that it was also some sort of a post exam celebration for some of us.

 

                                

Here is the 11 of us!

 

 

From left: Asty from Indonesia, Ira from Malaysia, Regina from Macau and Livia from Taiwan, Linh and Weenie from Vietnam!

 

  

From left: Jocelyn from Singapore, Yan Chi from Malaysia, Kana from Japan and Juyeon from Korea!

 

                                  

And not to forget, my surprise birthday cake! :P

 

Also, I went to London with my housemate, Juyeon, who is from Korea, during the weekend.

And the main highlight of this particular trip is: to watch Phantom of The Opera!

 

                           

Having heard so much about it before, I was simply just so ecstatic to watch this musical.

And true enough, it was really as good as what everyone has been singing praises of.

It was also my first time being in a real theatre and I thought that it was really a very good experience.

Juyeon and I also went to Oxford Circus to shop.

There, we even went to a Korean restaurant to eat Korean BBQ. I used to eat Korean BBQ a lot when I was in Singapore and I really miss it a lot here. We also got to eat my favourite Korean dish: Kimchi pancake!

  

Back in Brighton, I also went to a Thai restaurant with my Singaporean friend, Jocelyn!

Similar for Thai food, I also used to eat Thai food in Singapore.

My favourite dish is Beef Noodles Soup but sadly, they don’t sell it in this particular restaurant that we went. 

 

 

 

So we ate Pineapple fried rice, Pad Thai, fried sweetcorn cake, duck spring rolls and Tom Yam soup.

 

I guess all good things do come to an end, the matter being sooner or later. 

With another hurdle crossed, there's still more awaiting for me at the other end. There's still more to go.

But at least I can proudly say that I've had one of my best birthdays ever this year.

The fun, the joy and the laughter shall accompany me as I move on to the next stage...

Happy 19th to myself! :)) 

 

PS. I think this is slowly morphing into a food blog. HA

 

Belinda is studying A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton

Winter Holidays in SINGAPORE!

 Posted by Belinda @ Bellerbys Brighton

My 2010 ended just perfectly.

                                  

I went back to Singapore.
As compared to the cool weather in the UK, Singapore is so much hotter.

And with the ever so humid weather, temperatures can sore up to as high as 30 degrees Celsius. The tropical temperature remains about the same for the whole year round. So much for being so close to the equator huh?

After touching down at Singapore's Changi Aiport, the unbearable heat was instantly felt.  I thought to myself, once again, I'm back home, the weather, a far cry from the cold and wet one which we experience in the UK. Throughout the winter, we rarely get to see the sunshine in Brighton and I really missed that. So in the end, I was glad and relieved that I'm back in this little sunny island!

Apart from the sun which welcomed me back to my home country, I was also greeted by my family and a friend!

This is Aida, one of my best friends in life.

What holds us together is 8 years of friendship, and still counting... :)

And of course, after landing in Singapore, I was so desperate for local delicacies which I have been deprived of for months that I immediately begged them to satisfy my hunger pangs. 

 

Kaya&butter toast and Hainanese chicken rice.

During my winter holidays in Singapore, I also went to Malaysia with my family.

Given the fact that Singapore is located just beside Malaysia and there’s a bridge linking both of our countries together, it is very convenient for us to travel to Malaysia as and when we like (by taking a bus, taxi or just simply driving through).

There in Malaysia, I also did not forget to indulge in the food which I've missed so much!

From left: Century egg porridge, ice milo and rice noodle roll! 

 

Hawkers in Malaysia.

 

Okay since I've already posted so many local delicacies in this post, there's no harm to post more right?

Butter prawns, fried kailan with oyster sauce, sting ray and chili crab!

 

Nasi lemak and bubble tea!

 

 

Dim-sum!

 

Other events that happened during my stay in Singapore:

Celebrating Christmas with Denise!

 

 Korean food with Bernice!

 And from reviving our childhood by taking neoprints (which we have not done in zillion years) to just simply chatting under the blocks with Aida!

Oh and one unique thing about Singapore is that it is literally filled with high rise flats!

                           

 

                            

 

 And of course, going to the popular shopping district in Singapore – Orchard Road!  

 

And simple stuff like just eating steamboat and having late night supper at coffee shops with primary school friends who live around the estate!

Steamboat with Denise and June!

 

Late night supper at coffee shops with friends!

 

Also, I had a gathering at Sentosa!

Being an island resort, Sentosa is one of the main attractions in Singapore. The beach there is also frequently visited by many youngsters and families, bringing their children there during holidays and weekend breaks. 

Guys playing ball in the sea and girls on the bridge.

 

The few of us left who stayed till the very end... 

 

And of course, last but not least, going back the UK when winter holidays finally came to an end.

 

 

                          

Singapore's Changi Airport Terminal 3 Departure Hall.

 

Whenever I depart from Singapore’s Changi Airport, there seems to be this indescribable feeling of not being able to bear to let everything go.

But when it’s time to go, somehow you feel thankful that at least you have spent your holidays well enough.

And at that moment, there seems to be this sudden urge of courage and determination of wanting to just get back to Brighton asap and get the ball rolling all over again!

Belinda is studying A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton

Remember, Remember, the Month of December

Posted by Belinda, studying A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton

December, the month to remember.

The month of the year where we are constantly reminded of once upon a time and reminisce on how much we've gone through; how much we've stumbled across; our winnings, our losses; our everything that has happened so far.

Towards the end of the month, we celebrate Christmas and be thankful for what we have been given.

And right at the end of the month, we celebrate the arrival of yet another new year, welcoming another new beginning with open arms.

Yet, why do we still have this forlorn expression struck across our face?

Is it because we can't bear to let the memories of 2010 go or are we just plainly tired to start everything all over again?

That's December for you.

So the Winter Holidays are finally here!

I remember myself being so homesick last year, but after a year here, I think I’ve gotten pretty much used to it. Also, this year, there were a few events that made the last few weeks of the term (Novemeber/December) pretty exciting.

And to name a few:

Our Biology teacher, Miss Kingham, has gotten married!

So the day before her big day, we decided to throw her a surprise mini class party and send her our well wishes!

I’ve met her husband a couple of times (when I went to Hove Lagoon with some others to learn how to windsurf and also during the May Ball) and I really think that they look very compatible and sweet together! :)

         

                                  The class with the cake and present we bought for her!

Next, I went to the Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 World Premiere at London’s Leicester Square too!

(Quote during a history lesson, my classmate came up with this conclusion that "ALL THE HISTORY TEACHERS SEEM TO DISLIKE HARRY POTTER!" haha)

The crowd was so massive over there and it was raining too, not an ideal weather, taken for the fact that you've to stand there and wait for hours for the event to start.

I went with a Vietnamese friend, Linh!

This is Linh!

It was our first time at a movie premiere event, so we were quite clueless at first on where we should be to get the best view/what we should be doing.

                

Another interesting thing that happened during school time was that we made NYLON during Chemistry class!

It was so cool that even the teachers and lab technicians were amused.

It really was an eye-opening practical in my opinion because we normally wouldn’t think about how our clothes came about/were made and what the industrial processes were.

But of course, the Nylon that we made in class can’t be compared to the real Nylon used in factories, but still… It was really an amazing experience!

(Apart from the fact that all of us got rather frustrated after realising that we are faced with a never-ending thread of Nylon. We had to twirl the Nylon thread countless number of times around the scalpel and it just never ends!)

Of course, I think everyone would agree with me that the most exciting part towards the end of term was THE SNOW!

 

Okay, but we do have to admit that the two days of school closure due to the snow and following it, another two days off because of the weekend (which sums up to 4 days of holiday!), was pretty much why we were so ecstatic about it. Haha.

The funny thing is that from the previous day, after school closed early in the afternoon due to bad weather forecast of the soon-to-be heavy snow, everyone was practically speculating that school would be closed the following day and all of us got so excited about it.

It only snowed after the term ended last year so we were rather clueless on what to do if in the event of a heavy snow the next day.

Well, I guess technology really works wonders for us.

Because in such times, we ought to be thankful that social networking sites like Facebook do exist for our convenience sake.

Early next morning, notifications of school closure were posted all over Facebook by kind souls who helped to convey the message to people like us, who are living in private accommodation or homestaying.

And last but not least, the end of the term would mean that I had my last ever History lesson in my entire life (prior to the January exams)!

From GCE O level History to now, wow, it’s been years since I’ve first picked up this subject.

And one important thing to note is that because the rest of my subjects (the 3 sciences and maths) are so different from History, I do have to admit that whenever I’m in History class, it’s like a completely different world from the other classes.

Maybe because of its huge contrast to my other subjects, I do treasure and appreciate the time spent in History too because the stuff we are taught/how lessons are carried out/ etc are all so different.

That’s why I do enjoy History a lot!

And of course, I’ve to thank my History teachers Mr. Knight and Mr. Baker for not making me regret taking up History!

                                               

Mr. Baker posing for the camera! HAHA

Honestly, because of the fact that he also teaches English, I feel highly pressurised whenever he marks my essays.

His English is REALLY VERY GOOD (P.S he excels in crossword puzzles, HAHAHA). So, I find my essays being checked for grammatical errors too albeit that it is not specifically for an IELTS exam.

I think he does this unconsciously though, HAHA, which is really good because at the end of the day, we’ve to be clear and concise in our essays.

And who knows, because we don't have English lessons for A Levels here, my English would have deteriorated without me knowing! HAHA!

Counting down is really a tiring chore because at the end of each day, you cross out each day and lament on the fact that there doesn’t seem to be any difference and there’s
still a long way to go.

But… It’s finally here – the long awaited day for me to fly back to Singapore for my winter break.

I guess I’ll see you guys next time in Singapore then!

 

Belinda is studying A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton

Post Mid-term Break ☺☺

How was everyone’s mid term break? Well, mine was AWESOME!

Awesome for the fact that I went to Scotland for the first time and finally got to meet up with one of my closest college friend who is now studying in The University of Edinburgh – Neuroscience. When we finally met in Edinburgh Airport after so many months, she ran to me immediately and hugged me!  Oh I miss my friend so much too!

This is Lee and she is one cool girl from Taiwan! :P

She is an ex Bellerbys student~

During my trip in Scotland, I visited 2 cities – St. Andrews and Edinburgh.

St. Andrews:

After knowing that St. Andrews is renowned for golf, I instantly knew that I should definitely go visit St. Andrews, for my father who is an avid golfer.

And of course, we visited the famous Old Course golf course which happens to be the world’s oldest golf course.

And also being typical tourists, we took a photo with the Swilcan Bridge which is some sort of a icon for the golf course.

Well, our journey on finding the golf course wasn’t that exciting in reality.

The fact that there was literally a huge massive chunk of dark cloud, following us above our head for the entire day, was simply annoying enough.

I’m not sure if it’s us just being sensitive or plain unlucky because we noticed that the sky of whichever place we passed by would turn sunny immediately, right after we walked out of it and “bring” the dark cloud along with us.

As a result, I really got a taste of the Scottish weather up north of England.

Wet and freezing!

In St. Andrews, we also met up with one Bellerbys College senior who graduated last year.

She is currently studying Medicine in St. Andrews University.

This is Ogaga from Nigeria and she is one of the most ecstatic person I have known, for the fact that her mood is always so bubbly! HAHA 

So, Ogaga kindly gave us an insightful tour around the new school campus (especially the new medicine block) and her hostel life.

 
 

Ogaga and her dissecting kit!

In fact, we also managed to visit other parts of the old campus of St. Andrews University during the day and some other attractions too.

St. Andrews Cathedral

 

We even chanced upon an apple garden!

   

Halloween mania!

And not to forget sending postcards back to Singapore! :)

Edinburgh: 

Back in Edinburgh, Lee showed me around the city.

We visited Edinburgh Castle and the shopping district.

 

I’m definitely going back to Edinburgh once more because I have yet to visit all the attractions that I’m interested in!

Especially the highlands! I want to go see the Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster Lake!

I didn’t know that Nessie is from Scotland! HAHA 

They say all good things come to an end. Sometimes, an ending might not necessarily be a bad thing. It can be there to remind us that we once had fun; we once enjoyed ourselves; we once had the time of our lives. If there is no end to every memory we create and mould, how are we certain that they are memorable ones?

 

                         
 

 Belinda is studying A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton