December

Wow, it’s been more than a month since I last wrote on here. Sorry about the hiatus people; things have been really crazy in the past month – I had a terrible cold that just wouldn’t leave my body and my chronic insomnia was really getting to me. Anyway, everything has gotten better now and I have  already finished two out of my three exams.

I have to say the most difficult thing this semester is to take on an ancient language while  keeping up with my two other subjects (one being my main one). Obviously, I have my reasons for taking  Ancient Greek, but I really didn’t expect it to be that much work. We’ve only learned the alphabets in late September and by now we have already covered up to past tenses (what they called “Aorist tense” and they have DIFFERENT kinds of past tenses.) We are also expected to translate relatively long passages, so imagine the amount of vocabulary, verb forms, noun forms, etc that we have to memorize. Ever since the compulsory Chinese class back in community college, I’ve never had that huge of a challenge with a class before. Nevertheless, I am not a quitter, and I am genuinely interested in Ancient Greek, therefore I am planning to revise it over this winter break – to  prepare for next semester. (I really hate dropping a class, just because I’m “bad” at it, but not because I don’t like it)  So, wish me luck guys!

Another thing that I want to mention is that I am really upset that one of my very good friends is leaving Glasgow. She’s an American student, who’s only here for a semester, so her time here is almost up… We’ve gotten pretty close over these three months, which is pretty rare (though we both knew that she would have to leave eventually). I am very glad that Glasgow has a large amount of exchange students from all over the world, and it’s awesome that I get to know so many of them, but it saddens me when my new friends have to return home so soon. I wish my friend all the best though!

It seems like everybody is in a merry mood and all ready for the holidays. Frankly, I am not that big of a holiday person, and again, I have my very odd reasons for that. But, I do respect my family when they celebrate it, so I will probably go visit my sister at some point and join her in whatever that she does for Christmas, probably go to a midnight service to sing Christmas carols or something (other than that, I have Ancient Greek vocabulary to learn). I hope that all of you will have a nice and enjoyable winter break!

-Ruby

Time sure does fly.

I can’t believe the last time I wrote on here was in September; I still feel as if school has just started, and every body is yet to recover from the crazy Freshers’ Week. Anyhow, that is obviously not the case, and it is now mid-term. In other words, most of us are busy studying for class tests or writing essays. So far, I have already had a visual test in History of Art, and will have a test in Ancient Greek a week later. Meanwhile, I’m squeezing out every ounce of my brain juice trying to pull together an impeccable philosophy essay, which is due on my birthday. No, I’m not joking when I use the word impeccable; in philosophy, that would translate into something like  “logically valid”. To be logically valid, every premise in your argument needs to follow one another without committing any logical fallacies. To a perfectionist like myself, it’s pretty much walking in a field full of landmines; one wrong step, and my argument might end up being problematic and invalid, hence the reason why I have spent a lot of time researching and thinking about it.

Despite all that stress from studying, my sister and her partner took the time to come visit me last Friday; they even took me out for an early birthday dinner! It was almost a relief to see them; I have missed my family so much, and I felt so pampered being driven around and not having to walk everywhere. (It’s a shame that they couldn’t bring their three cats to visit me as well!) We went out for Japanese food at my favorite restaurant, which I haven’t been able to afford lately, and it was a really really nice break from locking myself in my room studying.

Amazing starters (that I couldn't eat much since I'm pescetarian)

My favorite sushi: tamago nigiri

Salmon with peppercorn sauce and rice

My sister got fried udon with mixed seafood and meat.

You can totally tell how eating out can release stress by looking at those pictures. Instant food therapy.

My lovely sister is taking me to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Playhouse in Edinburgh (in two week’s time) as my birthday present , I cannot wait. I really really need a break from all this studying.

I’d better go attend to my philosophy essay now. Speak to you guys soon!

-Ruby

Update on Freshers’ Week

Freshers’ Week has been a blast for me, even though I am not a Fresher this year. I got to hang out with my new flatmates and get to know them before school starts. Plus, since I’m in the Choral Society and Philosophy Society, I helped promoting them at Freshers’ Fair; it was great fun! Hopefully, they will have great turn-outs this year.

On the note of Philosophy Society: although I’m the vice-president, I have never actually organized anything before, therefore it’s hard for me to pull together the limited resources that we have, and make something happen at times; I suppose we all have to start somewhere. Our first official meeting of the year will be on next Wednesday, I really hope that everything will run smoothly (Can you tell that I’m really nervous about it?)…

So, classes are back on, and I’m back to nerd mode. In case you are just starting to read my blog, and haven’t known already – I’m taking Philosophy, History of Art and Ancient Greek this semester. Philosophy and History of Art are quite easy so far, as they haven’t touched on anything new (to me) yet. However, Ancient Greek is proving to be a huge challenge for me. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the class, my classmate, my lecturer (who’s also my adviser!), the language… It’s just that I’m a perfectionist, and I hate not knowing most things in class, so it’s taking me some time to get used to learning a new language. Nevertheless, I do love challenges and I think it’s pretty cool that I can now translate Ancient Greek letters into English ones!

The last thing I want to mention is that – Studying (and getting good grades) is the reason why I am at Glasgow, but I think it’s crucial for one to strike a balance between that and having a healthy social life. People who know me personally think that my schedule is insanely packed: I have a weekend part-time job and an occasional office job,  I’m co-running the Philosophy Society, and a member (and soprano rep) of the Choral Society. I take in the weekly guest lecture at the Department of Philosophy. And on top of all that, I have tons of friends, and I’m a very determined student. With all that on my plate, I have to be very careful with my time and choices, as I wouldn’t want to get bad grades just because of my other responsibilities and social life.

The reason why I am mentioning all that is because – we often get students writing to Student Network asking about how to balance work, play and study at Uni. So to answer that briefly (after you’ve read a bit about what I’m doing): it IS possible to do all that fun stuff, while studying hard and keeping a job; I’m coping just fine, and I actually enjoy my busy life. Self-discipline is really, the key (though it might sound cheesy).

Well, I’d better go and learn some Greek vocabulary, but I will (as always) keep you guys posted about my life!

-Ruby

Freshers’ Week

I have officially moved into my new flat! So far, everything is really nice; my neighbors are beyond amazing! I’m currently within 5 minutes from both Byres Road and the library, and I’m very much taking advantage of my prime location – by feeding my Starbucks addiction.

This week is commonly known as Freshers’ Week, during which, the GUU, QMU, and SRC organize a series of events for welcoming new students to Glasgow. I am going to be helping the Choral Society and Philosophy Society during Freshers’ Fair; apart from all that,  course enrollments are also going on, so I’d say it’s going to be an exciting week.

I shall fill you guys in on all the excitement when all that’s done with!

-Ruby

Highlight of My Summer – London

Thank God it’s August; as much as I love being with my sister and her lovely cats, I think it’s about time that school starts. Two weeks ago, my mom gave me the most awesome gift ever – she paid for a package for me to fly to London, which is definitely the highlight of my summer. (Plus, my mileage account will be expired soon, so I need to fly somewhere anyways)

Scotland is, no doubt, a breathtakingly gorgeous place. I am so grateful that people are so nice here. However, London is another story; since I’m from Hong Kong, which is a pretty big city (I’m talking about skyscrapers of 50+ floors everywhere), I miss being in a city a lot. This may sound strange, but I miss wandering around the city on my own, being in a sea of people who don’t know you, the abundance of my beloved Starbucks, the high (proper) standard of Starbucks drinks (as demanded by hard-to-please businessmen), the amazingly efficient subway system, all the designer flagship stores in one city, the vintage stores and authentic eateries in another corner, etc. I must say London comes pretty close to all that. In addition, I am obsessed with Broadway and West End musicals, so obviously I booked my tickets in advance to get the best seats possible.

So instead of TELLING you how great London was, see it for yourself:

I saw Les Miz again! (Well, this is a different production than the one I saw in Edinburgh.)

Hamley's has a movie prop section for adults! This is a Harry Potter wand!

My favorite piece of art of all times (V&A Museum); this is a obviously not authentic but I still loved looking at it.

Lion King (the musical) costumes at V&A!!!

The second musical that I saw; Wicked = my favorite musical of all times.

The safety curtain is a map of the Land of Oz! How cool is that?

OMG. It's my FAVORITE Tex-Mex burrito place in LONDON!!! This is a total surprise for me, as I've been trying to find it in the UK.

I'm one happy girl, having traditional iced tea with milk at a Hong Kong restaurant in Chinatown.

Finally seeing the pieces that I've been learning in History of art = life-changing.

Last but not least, the last musical that I got to see: Lion King!!!

So you see, London was life-changing for me, I love it so so much indeed. Best experience ever, thanks Mom!!!

- Ruby

A Different July 4th.

So for the past I-don’t-know-how-many summers, I have been in the States, and Independence Day has always been exciting: barbecues, lounging in the park/beach, trying not wear cheesy costumes  and waiting for fireworks display, etc. This summer is the first summer that I have spent outside the US for long while; nevertheless, it’s been going great, and I really enjoy being in Scotland.

My first highlight of the summer was auditing the Conference on the Good Life (The good life and conceptions of life in Greek and Chinese Antiquity, or some call it “Comparative Philosophy”) back in June. It was a 3-day event, and from 9 am till 6.30 pm, scholars from universities around the world gathered and discussed the two ancient philosophy schools. (Well, technically there are a lot of different schools within Chinese Philosophy itself, but you know what I mean.) Needless to say, I was completely amazed at all the heated debates; I was most into the Plato/Republic-related sessions, since I have just studied the book last semester. All in all, I’m so grateful to be invited.

Another very exciting event is that I am going to London in August! This will be my “first time” there, as I’ve only spent a day there when I was 8 (at least I think I was 8). Part of the reason why I’m going there is because my frequent flyer account will be expiring in October, therefore in order for me to keep my account “active” (what they call it), I need to fly somewhere. I have planned my itinerary thoroughly, so hopefully I can see as much as possible within four days (3 nights). Personally, I think the biggest highlight of the trip will be going to see Les Miserables, the Lion King and Wicked; I’m a die-hard West End/ Broadway musical fan (I wish my life was a musical). I have seen Les Miserables when the anniversary tour was in Edinburgh, however, that was the (very obvious) anniversary production; in other words, it was different than the original production in London with a different cast, arrangement, staging effects, etc.

I have to admit though. I kind of miss my mom in Hong Kong. As some of you may recall, she came and visited my sister and I during Spring Break, and I haven’t seen her since then. People that know me personally would probably think that I’m very independent, and have a mind of my own – but I would not be the person that I am today without my mother. I am very thankful for what she’s allowed me to do, e.g. being able to study in Glasgow, and this is what I keep in mind when I’m studying – I simply cannot afford to not strive for the best result. I hope that I can make her proud someday.

-Ruby

Yeah, summer is definitely here.

Due to my impulsive personality, I almost titled this entry “Heat Wave Strikes”. However, almost immediately, I backspaced and condemned myself for my ignorance and immaturity. It is because (as most of you know) a heat wave is truly disruptive and disastrous, i.e. not something for me to be joking about.

Anyhow, Glasgow AND Edinburgh are steaming hot! I had no idea that Scotland’s summers were hot at all! Despite my being from Hong Kong and having spent most of my summers in Texas, I (apparently) have an incredibly low heat tolerance. Yes, the blue sky, sunshine, no-raining part is amazing and GORGEOUS; I should not take it for granted at all. However, I still trying to get used to the fact that some shops/malls DO NOT HAVE AIR CONDITIONING. For the first time ever, I am very not used to being here, which is quite ironic: I took the cold and the snow just fine, but when it comes to the heat (which I’m supposedly used to), I am having adjustment issues. Nevertheless, it seems like most people are out enjoying the sun, and I’m glad that they are happy. Meanwhile, I will just use the weather as an excuse to snack on ice cream and popsicles… Yum!

I cannot believe the semester has officially come to an end. My flatmates have all moved out; the flat is half-empty. Almost everybody have gone home for the summer. I’m going to miss my senior friends that are graduating very soon. Plus, I will have to move back to Stirling pretty soon, which is kind of bittersweet. Although, there IS a highlight before I move out, and it’s NOT a beach party or shopping spree: One of my lecturers invited me to a Philosophy Conference, and I am SO ecstatic that I cannot find a fancier word than “ecstatic” to describe my excitement.

And I WILL keep you guys posted this summer. Till next time, enjoy the awesome weather!

- Ruby

Summer Plans Underway

Unlike most international students who would probably return to their home country during long breaks, I’m going to stay in Scotland for the summer, since I don’t want to spend a fortune on a plane ticket. (Plus, the Icelandic volcano is STILL erupting today; last time it erupted in 1821, it lasted for 7 MONTHS – airlines and flight schedules are hence quite unreliable as scientists cannot predict wind or when the volcano will stop erupting.)

My revisions for examinations are on-going, but I don’t study as intensively as most people do before the exams. Now, please don’t get me wrong, this is merely my personal study habits. (I am not advising anybody to do what I do) The reason why I can “afford” to relax during the examination period is because I study every day for hours DURING the semester. Once a lecture is over, I make sure I have kept up with the readings, and I know exactly what’s going on in the course. As you can probably recall, I spend HOURS in the library during the year (when it’s less crowded, by the way). When exams are closing in, I only have to read over my notes and make sure I remember what I have studied and learned. I am not a last-minute person when it comes to schoolwork, and I need a lot of  rest before an exam – this optimizes my productivity and efficiency in studying.

Meanwhile, I’m also applying for summer internships, hopefully somebody would see something in me! I am kind of sad that I will have to move out of my lovely apartment in a month; in fact, my sister has already helped drive part of my belongings back to her house near Stirling.

On a lighter note, I took a day trip to Edinburgh last week to see Les Miserables the musical. It was beyond amazing. I have goosebumps the entire time. They still have a few tickets available for purchase before they leave Scotland on the 18th of May; I highly recommend it to everybody. Moreover, American students here who miss Tex-Mex food, or Tex-Mex food lovers should take note of a lovely eatery on Lothian Road called Illegal Jack. It serves burritos and tacos that taste very close to what you can get in Texas. (Plus, it’s quite cheap for lunch/ dinner in the city!)

Good luck to those who are still having their exams!

-Ruby

Spring Break.

Sorry about the hiatus folks!

About three weeks ago, my mom visited my sister and I all the way from Hong Kong. We took a coach trip down to the Cotswold area, Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare’s birthplace), Coventry and Oxford.

I was particularly amazed by the University of Oxford area. I even went to the main Oxford University Press bookstore to get cheap Philosophy textbooks (Brand-new; more than 50 percent off!); the Blackwell used bookstore is loaded with treasures as well. For lunch or a quick snack, The Mission Mexican Grill is the place to go. Before I came to Glasgow, I have spent quite a long period of time in the States; ever since I am here, I have been missing the very popular Tex-Mex burrito: rice, black/pinto bean, salsa (preferably the hot kind), cheese, sour cream, choice of meat – all wrapped up in a tortilla goodness. I swear, Mission Burritos is the closest thing to what you can get in the States (Texas)! It is amazingly good. I highly recommend the place, if anybody makes it down to Oxford.

Pictures time before further updates:

Shakespeare's Birthplace

The restaurant where we ate at. Very pretty!

Very typical in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Christchurch College, Oxford

Inside Christchurch College, where they filmed the corridors of Hogwarts in Harry Potter.

The Hall in Christchurch College; they also filmed Harry Potter here. (Dining hall of Hogwarts)

Christchurch College (the inside)

Heaven.

After my trip in England, I am just back in Glasgow, working and studying (pretty much all the time). Although at the University of Glasgow, a student’s first year’s grades do not count towards his/ her honor grades, I still think that a student should not slack off in his/ her first year. I am particularly determined in getting As, especially in Philosophy. Therefore, I have spent most of this Spring Break studying and reading. Hopefully, the exam results will be pleasant!

Another thing worth noting is that, Glasgow is having amazing weather lately! There is almost a blue sky and plenty of sunshine every day, which is very rare in the winter or fall. People seem to really enjoy sitting outside of pubs and cafes these days.

Good luck to those who are taking/ will be taking exams soon! (Here is my very concise advice: mind-maps = golden; procrastination kills.)

- Ruby

Breaking My Routine…

I just realized that what I have been talking about in my previous blogs revolves around essays, classes and choir. Hence, I’m going to try and break that routine in this post; hopefully, I will sound less like a bookworm and more like an interesting person.

I don’t think I have actually discussed why I’m so determined to pursue Philosophy (or the academia in general) as my career. When obtaining an Associate Degree in Cultural Studies back in Hong Kong, I got to explore different liberal arts subjects on a tertiary level, and for some reasons, I tend to get tired of most subjects very quickly. (Please note that I am, by no means, belittling other subjects, I am merely speaking from personal experience; hopefully you won’t be offended! Apologies in advance if I happen to have offended anybody!) I was not particularly interested in their methodology of research or what those subjects were interested in. The most important reason was that, I wanted my mind to be challenged, worked out, twisted around, insert-more-phrases-that-describes-a-brain-workout… However one wants to phrase it – I wanted to think more, and if I might put it this way: I was desperate to learn something completely out of my elements, something more challenging to one’s mind.

And of course, the rest is history. I found Philosophy. Before I came to the University of Glasgow, in my last year of Associate Degree, I was in a course for the Philosophy of Mind, and that was when I knew for sure what I would want to pursue career-wise: I want to do research in the field of the Philosophy of Mind.

I understand that some of you who are reading this may not be certain about what you want to do/ study as your main subject yet. If I was to give anybody any pointers, it would be sitting down and have a long chat with yourself – try to see whether you are better at the Arts or Science, if there is a certain occupation that you would want to get into, or if you want to research in a certain field… Of course, if you are already in the University of Glasgow, your adviser of studies and lecturers are amazing at guiding you to the right path. Nevertheless, what I have realized (from my personal experience) is that nobody can guess what you might be interested in or what you want to do with your life, it is most important that one figures out what she/ he wants out of her/ his life.

Okay, it seems to be the case that I have successfully failed at breaking my routine of talking about the academia. I think I have probably studied too much for the past few weeks, it is getting to the point when I have forgotten what I used to do for fun. And this should be my cue to get some fresh air, and maybe play some Bach on the piano.

Oh, hold on! Two pieces of exciting news before I sign off:

1. The Choral Society and the Chapel Choir are going to perform Samuel Wesley’s Confitebor and SS Wesley’s hymns this Sunday at the University Chapel! This is an extremely rare piece, so rare that there is no official recording of this piece ever. Music-lovers should not miss the first performance of this piece in Scotland! (My mom is coming all the way from Hong Kong to watch me perform!)

2. Thanks to a lot of people’s efforts, I got elected as the vice president of the Philosophy Society for the next academic year! Hopefully, the president-to-be and I will make “PhiloSoc” even more exciting next year! (I am very thrilled.)

Talk to you folks soon!

-Ruby