random scribbles: journey to the U of M part one: the long haul

it was an inhumanly 4am in the morning but cool friends still turned up.

yup, not surprisingly clarence was there for some jollibean delights. he didn't even call me to wish me well, so i suspected something amiss. then came his sms at 3.30am. "which terminal are you checking in at?" it was pretty obvious the cab was already on its way from simei green to changi "best in the world" airport.

the two lovely ladies also turned up to surprise me. thank you for coming, gwen and erin! i'd never expect to have both of you show up in support after not seeing you all for a good 3-4 months. i can't find words to express my heartfelt appreciation.

and erin, the michigan tee comes in plenty of colours. besides blue and yellow, they have it in grey to pink and even orange. there's even one that says "michigan girls rock". i don't know if you rock, but you could tell me which colour you do prefer. =)

of course, my family was there. it was a very emotional farewell. i told myself not to cry, but it was tough. i went down the line with my hugs, leaving my mom for last. her eyes just turned red. i couldn't help myself. from the corner of my eye, erin sobbed along. i felt so loved at that moment. i was looking forward to my michigan experience with great enthusiasm, but i had to leave behind the things closest to my heart in the pursuit of my dreams.

the moment kept replaying in my head like a broken VCR and it was hard to keep my spirits high. the landing at narita couldn't come any sooner.

the japanese people are funny. they speak like they do on tv! the security officer took a look at my boarding pass and gestured to the right lane, repeating "lie-to, lie-to" about two or three times. i was chuckling inside. i thought i heard someone say "biggu makku" at mcdonald's.