Fire Alarm and the Year of the Rat

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my Chinese friends and readers a prosperous Chinese New Year. To whoever (of course I'm referring to my friends, not the 1 billion plus Chinese in this world) that I unintentionally missed to send a personal wishes, please forgive my carelessness. I was told by a classmate from China that according to Chinese zodiac, the rat is associated as a protector and bringer of material prosperity. Whatever it is, Gong Xi Fa Chai!

I woke very late today because two days in a row, my beautiful sleeps were interrupted by the firm alarm. The funny thing is both happened at about the same time i.e. around 3.30 am and according to the warden the alarm was triggered from the same source i.e. Flat 6!

I'm sure you guys know the procedure when the fire alarm went off. We have to go out from the building and assemble ourself in the parking lot waiting for the security team to check, verify, mitigate and address the situation. After about 10 minutes of battling the cold winter (in the month of February!), we were, then, allowed to return to our room.

But the suffering didn't end there. I was struggling to return to my beautiful sleep both last night and the previous one. But the previous one was even worse because it took me more than 2 hours before I could sleep again. And last night it was less than an hour. Oh God... please, please... don't let it happens again tonight.

I've class on Qualitative Research today and at 3.15 pm, I've a meeting with the Programme Director and Carole (the Fieldtrip Coordinator) on our fieldtrip to Singapore during the Easter Break. Unlike the majority of my classmates, I'm so not looking forward for this fieldtrip because I was expecting to go any African or Latin American countries or Middle Eastern countries at least. But not to my neighbouring country which I can take a four hour bus ride from Kuala Lumpur.

Looking from another perspective, at least I will be getting a free trip to visit my aunts in Singapore. If I'm not mistaken one is in Jurong something something and another one is in Woodland. Well, after the briefing on the proposed agenda and itinerary I think I should give my parents a call to obtain the contact details of Aunty Som and Aunty Sadibah.

Anyway, the trip is about one month's time so I think I better give my attention to my incoming trip to Oxford this Saturday. Yes, guys... I'm going for another trip with the International Society and it's quite reasonable too (18 pound, including a free guided tour!)

Happy holidays to my friends in Malaysia and Singapore. Enjoy your long weekend.