Wow, it's been an unbelievably bad week for me and I'm hoping to God this week will be better though I doubt it.

My bike got stolen on my birthday morning which made me late for an important appointment. And I have to walk everywhere now in weather that has developed from shitty to horrific. Honestly, the wind actually blows me off course and it's so frosty that I got in one evening and found that my thighs were bright lobster red due to frostbite! I was so scared cos obviously, being from a sunny tropical world, I'd never experienced that before. I've got a crime reference number with my birthday on it which was the only consolation.

My flatmates baked me a cake which was very nice of them. However, celebrations were sombre and toned down as one of the girls was informed that her granny had passed away just half an hour before they had planned to surprise me. I felt so sorry for her and it didn't seem right to have a big party in the kitchen while someone else was grieving a lost granny in her room.

My family also went away to Korea on holiday without me and all except for my mum forgot about my birthday. Ingrates. I remembered all of theirs and called to wish them. Oh well.

I've also had the heaviest period ever. I'm not a person who normally likes to discuss such things but this was exceptional and I was seriously anemic and couldn't concentrate on anything for the spinning in my head. bloody bloody bloody is all I can add.

Which was unfortunate, as I had an essay to write over the weekend. Rushing for the deadline on Sunday, I realised I had forgotten about lunch at aroundz 3.30pm. It was too late to have a meal so I had to wait for dinner and my poor stomach was growling so much even though there was no dog inside.

The essay is done now, somehow, and it's in my bag, waiting for me to bring it to King's Manor. The sky outside isn't a pretty sight.

There were many other countless things that all conspired in a great big incredible way to make me miserable and irritable. argh!

I try to put all that behind me but the week ahead just seems worse. I've got an exam on Wednesday and a Lab book to hand in on Friday. I've also got to be all packed up by 5am on Saturday for my journey home. I've got a lot of un-ironed clothes strewn around my room, waiting for the hot metal and steam that I just can't be bothered and don't have time to give.

I need to bang Bang BANG BANG my head against the wall and kick Kick KICK KICK the world into submission. When will this end?

Maybe I build my expectations too high. I always prepare myself to be happy in December and now I can't remember why. And then bad things happen and completely upset my plans. Then I can't be happy and that in itself is a great disappointment.

Things just keep getting me down. So many times, I'd just gotten a bit happier at nice things like the money my mummy sent me for my birthday, a well-chosen present from a friend, a gayish card from Ah boy, a birthday email from XY, a message from LL.

Then something else would happen that would plunge my mood into the cesspit again. Why is it so hard? It doesn't take much to make me happy. But then again, with the current state of affairs, it doesn't take a great deal to piss me off either.

Haha I just received Ah boy's hand-made card. She's getting a bit gay... But this means that she is a good kid too and will get a big present. Thank you ah boy!

My Birthday

Today, I woke up in the morning and was excited to be older. I had an appointment at the university. So I went to get my bike.

But I couldn't get my bike as it wasn't there. Someone had stolen it in the night.

I had to make a report which made me late for my appointment.

And the day continued to be shitty. I had to walk to King's manor for a laboratory session where we didn't do much as my group had already finished all the tests.

LL messaged to say happy birthday and XY emailed to say the same. So those are the good kids. The other kids are all naughty and will get a bit smaller presents.

What a sad day. My poor little bike. Poor poor little Singaporean bike.

One afternoon, I was hungry. So I roasted a chicken. Yummy yummy yummy

The cancellation of on laboratory session due to the break-in at King's manor has led to an irritating side effect. We had to reschedule the missed lab session and the supervisor suggested next Friday. I gave a little whinnnneeee... everyone else was ok with it and he gave me a look as if to say, "what better way to spend a birthday than to look at soil samples?" So Friday it is.

FUCK.

I'm pissed off. I had wanted to go gai-gai.

The Christmas Trees have been put up! There are two big ones in the city and this what they look like:





I LIKE CHRISTMAS TREES.

King's manor was vandalised overnight. This led to the cancellation of my laboratory session this afternoon and this means I have time to study for tomorrow's mock exam. Thank God for strange favours at weird times. Procrastination is a risky business.

I'm going back to the S'pore in less than a month and I'm feeling some trepidation. Can't say if I will like it back home after such a long time away. I was last home in March. So that's about 9 months away.

In this time, I have led a life so different from the one I used to have in Singapore that I'm afraid I might not be able to feel comfortable at home anymore. It's a scary thought when you don't know if home will still feel like home anymore.

I've lived a month in Greece.


I've enjoyed a British summer.


I've excavated on a farmer's land.


I've savoured the Northern cold.


I've toured Scotland.


I've explored many a cave.
(no picture yet)

And I've been cooking all my meals from scratch.


I've also met many colourful characters. (no pictures here as "colourful" characters include murderous psychopaths).

And strange things have happened. There are stranger ones, but a lack of photographic evidence might limit my credibility.



Very excited about going home but also a little wary. However, don't worry, I will start my Christmas shopping soon. There will be presents aplenty.

Hello. No explanations given for the absence.

Sinny just started a blog, the link is on the left. Do visit, it's nice. Even though she is a tad excitable and emotional. But that's just her.

Speaking of emotional... XY has been emotional lately. In the sad way. I feel bad that I can't be there to sayang her. She's my girl after all.

My sister is back home pigging out. She said that she ate all the food in Singapore so I guess you guys back home must be starving. The stupid pig. I'll sort her out when I get back. Show her whose boss. Show her what REAL eating is like! haha

My existence has been not bad. Not as exciting as I would like it to be, but not to bad either. You know, me the thrill junkie.

I went to a bonfire on the week where they had the Guy Fawkes thing. It was cool! Or rather, HOT! HUGE FIRE!!! I overheard a guy next to me saying, " It's a strange feeling, your front feels hot and your back feels cold" And this is exactly how it feels like to stand facing a huge fire on a frosty evening.
Click on the picture to make it bigger. Looks more impressive that way.


Going back a bit more, on Halloween's night, my flat mates had this crazy idea which we carried out due to boredom and being students. Someone would hide in a big box outside. The rest of us hid around the corner and gave a cough every time some poor bastard walked past. Then, BOOOOOOO!!!!! We scared a few and amused a few. One guy just said, " What the Fuck??!?" So that was fun :)


Going back even more to before term start. Man! When I think about how not too long ago, I was flying my little kite in Scotland much to the amusement of the tour guide and three Spanish guys who were on the same tour, I feel like the world is a good place.


When I think about how I was sitting by the shores of Loch Ness, looking for the big monster, I think the world is a weird place.


When I remember how one night, I was sitting on the steps leading down to the River Ness eating a pizza, I feel that life has been good to me.


And I remember how I finished my pizza and sat staring at the bridge drinking a can of Sprite (in my unique way of drinking soft drink like it's vodka), an old geezer came over to talk me out of jumping into the river.
"Whatever's happened, don't do it!",
I know that the world is a strange place and weirdness abounds in all lands.

Yeah, so I had forgotten about this blog. Got a good excuse though. I've been dying of an English cold for a while now. It's a virus and the NHS can't do anything about it. The photos from a few weeks ago when I went to Loch Ness in Scotland are still unprocessed. Let me tell you, the monster is shitty BIG... But doing photos has to take a backseat to the work now. They are laying it on thick. Thick and fast, thick and fast. Reports, critiques... My supervisor quizzed me about my dissertation ideas the other day. That was a tad freaky. A tad.

Wow! I just found the best love poem translation ever!

The orignal persian sappy thing....
گر همچو من افتاده این دام شوی
ای بس که خراب باده و جام شوی
ما عاشق و رند و مست و عالم سوزیم
با ما منشین اگر نـه بدنام شوی

The literal, too literal translation. Check ou the last line!

If like me, you too fall in this trap,
Hold the wine and cup upon your lap.
We are the lovers, burning our tracks,
Join us, if you can put up with the crap.

I'm the Master of Innuendo, the King of innocent yet extremely sexual and dodgy remarks. I mainly play the innuendo game with Pedro, on of the guys from my course who also went to Greece in June.

As we walk the streets eating big ice cream :"Keep it straight up or it'll fall off!"

Looking at shop window displays:
Pedro: Look, that's a Man Bag
Me: Man bag? That's not a Man bag. It's far too big and it's the wrong shape.

In a pub, drinking lemonade: Hey Pedro, How's the Big One?

In the streets of Athens,
Me: Hey Happy Boy! Hurry up!
(shopkeeper stares and raises an eyebrow)
Pedro: Oh, why do you call me Happy?
Me: Because you're not gay.

etc etc etc and it goes on and on...

My Iranian flatmate now has this friend who keeps coming over for dinner. His name is Ali. And this is the funny story of how I accidentally "seduced" Ali.

I was in the kitchen cooking. Ali had just come in and we chit-chatted for a bit. However, we hadn't been properly introduced yet. Then, Mehdi, my flatmate, came in. And he said, "Oh let me introduce you. This is my friend Ali, and this is Audrey." At this point, I instinctively reached out to shake Ali's hand. Strangely, his hand sort of went limp in mine. I didn't think too much of it and we later had dinner together and a nice conversation to go with it.

After Ali left, Mehdi came up to me and said, " You shouldn't have shaken Ali's hand." Suddenly, I remembered that Ali was a conservative Muslim and I was a strange female. Opps!!!

Mehdi said that Ali was so shy after I shook his hand. Mehdi teased him by asking if he would like to be introduced to all the other girls in the flat and shake their hands. Ali, " no No NO! That (shaking Audrey's hand) was enough for my whole life!"

Alamak! Cultural faux pas...

Let us bow our heads in mourning for the passing an icon of our time.


Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter is no more. And he died a horrible death by the sounds of it http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5311298.stm

It was ironic how a crocodile didn’t kill him. But I suppose that he was such and expert with them and quite friendly too.
So grieve, for the Crocodile Hunter is no longer with us. And Australia is left, once again, with no one standing as a barrier between them and the ferocious wildlife.

Being bored and everything (I've said this before haven't I?), I decided to go on the Yorkshire wheel. It's a ferris wheel like the London Eye.


The view, however, was nothing as exciting.
I got a good view of the York Railway Station which was the largest in the world at the time when it was built.

Here is a nice boring scenic view of the city and the minster.

It's boring for you, looking at it on your computer screen, but for me, seeing it out the window of a little box on a wheel high up in the sky was quite fun.

Being bored and everything, I went shopping online for junk. But look what I found! This is my new set of three speakers in tripod form. My blue bear likes it very much. It's loud and interesting. I will stick it out of my window at maximum volume to "entertain" my neighbours.

It's twice this week that I've been caught in a rainstorm. And that's not including the one time I was caught in the pissing rain that just went on and on and on. The weather here is completely shitty. I was told that I deserved it. Apparently, anyone who comes to Northern England deserves this. Bleah!

Just yesterday, I cycled to Tesco supermarket that was an hour away. When I emerged from Tesco, my unbelieving eyes were treated to the sight of a Yorkshire rainstorm comparable to the quality of a tropical one. I waited 10 mins for it to stop. It sort of eased up a little but didn't stop. So I thought, "what the hell, I'm a tough guy" buttoned up my jacket and put on my hat and macho-ly cycled out into the diagonal rain. It was horrible. My poor glasses had sheets of water splashing down them and I wished I had installed windscreen wipers on them. And all the way I sang to myself, "I'm a tough guy, a tough guy. A macho macho tough guy" While secretly thinking, "MUMMYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! I WANT MY MUMMYYYYYYYY!!!!" Man! I couldn't help thinking that if my mummy had been there, she would have called a taxi straight away. Or better yet, called my father to come pick us up in the private "taxi".

And all the drivel about rain is due to the fact that, as usual, there is nothing more interesting than the weather to talk about.

This blog has been quite neglected. But what have I got to write about when life is so quiet? My mummy has been pestering me to go get a driving licence. Actually, I don't really want to. It's boring and tiring. And with me, I will most probably drive recklessly just to make it interesting. Well, maybe I will get around to it when I am bored enough. Dying of having nothing to do. Help me.

Yesterday, I woke up as usual, brushed my teeth and looked in the mirror.

WHAT THE...!!! There was this brunette waving at me. What did she do to the blond one???

Nah... only kidding. Actually, I got bored and decided to stop being a dumb blond. Jun said, "NO WAY!!!"

XY is disillusioned about love and relationships. After 2 break-ups within about a month or so of each other, she has come to the conclusion the love doesn't last.

I disagree. Actually, many people find true and lasting love the moment they are born. After so many years, your mummy still loves you right?

But anyway, here are a few mottos I came up with during an online chat with Rhoda. You may want to adopt one of them:

Love "n" Shove


Kiss "n" Dismiss

Grope "n" Mope

Use "n" Refuse

And my personal favourite:

Fuck "n" Chuck

On second thought, it might reflect badly on my social conscience to promote Short Passionate Flings over Long-term Commitments. But you know, freedom of choice still rules!

Hmmm... I was going to be lazy and not update the photos from Greece, but XY made me promise to do it, so I will.

When we first arrived at Athens International Airport, we made for the train station to take us to Kiato which was the seaside town near our site. The night before, we hadn't slept at all and for me, I went on a field trip in the morning. So imagine, after 30+ hours of no sleep and little food, you land in a new country and all of a sudden find yourself staring at a sign like this:



Strange thoughts begin to go through your mind.
And on the train, we were mostly like this:


Except for me, who was running around annoying people by photographing their sleepy faces.

When we arrived at Kiato, we were told that the school in Vasilico (small village up on the plateau where the site is located) was not yet ready for us to move in. So we had to wait it out at the beachside restaurant. By that time, we were too tire to be more tired and so became hyper instead.



The beach was very nice. And after we had rested well, we could enjoy it properly. Here is Jess, being swamped by a Greek wave.


The Sikyon Survey Project is a very international one. This season, we had people like me from York, some Irish, some Canadians and Americans and some Greeks. From York, there was me, the Singaporean, Pedro, the Portuguese brought up in Aussieland, Marieke the Belgian and Michael the American who were not English.

When the Greeks arrived, we were taken on a tour of the part of Ancient Sikyon that had already been excavated.



Here, you can see the ancient theatre. We field walked the plateau just above this place during the first 2 weeks or so. Once, I threw an orange from the plateau edge and it bounced all the way downhill to land here.



At the Apothiki (storage place) we were given a talk on different types of pottery. This place was across the road from the school and we usual spent 3 hours in the evening washing the little pieces of pottery found that day. Of course, I had to do stupid things like using the handle of a big pot as a telephone.



This is the Kiato pebble beach:



First day of work, sorting pottery.


The most dangerous thing in Greece are the thorny plants. You have to walk into them because you aren't supposed to go off the line when surveying. So, for the sake of accurate archaeology, we had to. These evil mother***kers poke right through any kind of trousers. Pat (the geophysics guy from York, gets blood poisoning every year because he has to walk through more of these than anyone else)



The only good thing about being out in the field by 6am every morning was that we got to see the spectacular sunrises. Simply magnificient.



This is Michael. He is the King of Fashion, Guru of Good Taste.


The height of my career as a Japanese tourist/Papparazzi was when I made a wildy succesful video of Dan and Mike rubbing suncream on each other's naked backs.


When traveling in Pat's car between Kiato and Vasillico, the tiny 4-seater car usually transported 6 people, usually with me in the boot.


Yanni is a funny guy from Cyprus. He worships everything. One day, he made a mosquito from an olive and started worshipping it. He also liked to worship me when I sat on the window sill to read.


Sunset by the sea.


One day, a kitten hid under the wooden platform in the courtyard and mewed the whole night. The next morning, the Kitten Catchers were called in. Here're Pat and Gary who eventually managed to get the kitten into the box and release it somewhere near where we thought its mother was.


This is the windy road up from the village to the plateau. We went up this every morning in the back of a lorry.


We visited Corinth. On this mountain, you can see the Acropolis.


Ruins.


There is this place in the village, if you walk right to the end of the plateau, where you have a fantastic view of the plain and right to the sea.


Another sunrise.


My moment of fame. I found a Doric column that got the supervisors extremely excited because it confirmed the presence of a temple.


On the 5 of July, the sea was rough.


They were crazy about the Hookah pipe. Tobacco smoke filtered through the water at the bottom of the glass thing.


This was how we did our laundry.


This is the love triangle. Girl on my left is a Greek babe, girl on my right is Jess from York. I'm sorry, XY!


Me, pretending to be Jess


Dinner was like this every night.


Work was like that. This was the very last day. They made us work right to the end. I'm the one in blue.


When they had too much to drink and too much cheesy music on the airwaves, they danced with tools.


Seems like this is as many pictures as Blogger allows me to upload in one entry. So I guess this is all you're getting! Haha hope they were entertaining.