Battle of the Bands!

Yesterday I went to the Battle of the Bands with George and Iman :D It was Awesome! ^-^ It was an event sponsored by Jack Daniels and there were 5 bands competing. The best one won of course XD They were the band that seemed to enjoy themselves the most, having fun with each other and the music ^-^ They were the most versatile of the bunch, the rest played similar songs all the time, which got boring after a while.

Anyway, it was the first time I'd gone out and it was really nice. No dancing or anything, which was good of course and I got to try out some drinks I'd never had before XD I had a little of a WKD, which is a sort of vodka mix tasting awfully synthetic and I had two whisky-cokes as well ^-^ It was actually really quite good. And the best part was that with 2 Jack Daniel drinks you got a free T-shirt! Always a good thing for a student XD

So I had a lot of fun, not only because we had a great time listening to my kind of music, but also because all my tests last week went really well! Two of them (inorganic and physical) were multiple choice, which was really easy and organic was maybe the easiest of them all! I didn't study much, but in hindsight I didn't have to either, so it all worked out really well :D

This weekend I'll be writing up some labreports O.o; and I'm gonna try to make some photos, because Photosoc has a competition on Flikr, which gives me a good reason and opportunity to use my camera for some new artworks O.O heheheh, hopefully that's what they will be XD

I really had fun yesterday! There was a lot of hugging ^-^ and the music was great! I have to go to a real club some day I guess...

Fun with George and Iman

Yesterday George called me to see if I'm still alive XD
Apparently he heard about someone having killed themselves in one of the other halls just like a week ago and he wanted me to know that if I was feeling too much pressure that I could always call him :D He is so sweet! He's definitely one of my best friends right now ^-^

We went to see the new James Bond on Saturday. Me, Iman and George and he drove us :D it's so cool that he has a car. The film was a bit disappointing, though... The action was good, but the story-line was a bit neglected, it felt a bit like this was an in-between-film.... like the second of a trilogy. Casino Royal was so much better!

Anyway, I've been studying a bit and skyped with my whole family on Sunday :D
In the morning (8 am. O.O) I skyped with Lotte, mom and dad and in the afternoon I skyped for almost 2 and a half hours with Amber! O.O I got some gift ideas for them now, so I'll have to go get some B-Day and X-mas presents soon... O.o;

Lectures are going okay, but it's getting a lot bussier now. Labs are going well as well :P up till now I got a B and two A+s on my labreports! XD

I baked another apple pie yesterday evening ^-^ And then, when it was done and still warm I went over to George and Iman. We played cards and relaxed for a bit XD We had fun and of course I was the shit head... *-*

I watched some Speed skating on uitzendinggemist as well.... but of course they only show the interviews and results and not the actual races.... which is really annoying... When I get home for christmas, though, we're probably gonna go to Thialf for the Allround Championships XD That's gonna be so amazing! and cold ^-^

Anyway, I have a test today, so I'm leaving in a few minutes O.O I hope it's gonna go okay O.o;
When I get home I'll have to do my laundry, 'cause it's maandag wasdag XD Looking forward to it...... not.

edit: I'm not actually going to do my laundry today XD 'cause it's raining like crazy here! there's even a flooded area on the road towards Uni! This weather really depresses me O.o; I'll just stay indoors today, just came home after the test (which I think went okay, but have no clue as to my grade) and I changed into DRY clothes and am now laying in bed under the covers :D nice and warm.

Cards, Chips and Oreo Cheesecake! ^-^

Tonight was the best! We had so much fun ^-^
Sheena and George came over to have some Oreo cheesecake that me and Sheena had made earlier and we played poker ^-^ I won! XD

So here's the story: <(^-^)>
At 3 pm today, Sheena came over to make Oreo cheescake with me, of which we had fantasized for a long time before actually making it :D The idea actually started in one of the first weeks I was here, because Verena mentioned she LOVED oreo's and then I said I loved cheesecake and then we decided that Oreo cheesecake would be like eating heaven ^-^

At 6 pm, I was still cooking my diner (pasta with meat, mushrooms and peppers in tomato sauce) and Sheena and George came over ^-^ I still had to eat my diner, so we played poker while I was eating. When I finished, we were only like halfway in the game and we decided it was time for the cake to come out of the fridge XD

It was a marvelous moment! The cake looked so good! Sheena made me take out my camera to savour the moment and she even made me promise to make her a similar cake for her birthday (Jan 3rd) so I will :D The pictures are somewhere on the right....

The cake was so good! While we were playing we were enjoying our cake and Sheena was so happy that she actually said that eating the cake was like an oral orgasm!! O.O She's so funny! ^-^ George couldn't believe she actually said that and was really shocked, but I thought it was hilarious XD

So we enjoyed our cake (Sheena had 2 slices!), played cards (I WON!! XD) and had loads of fun! We should do it more often :D

Appeltaart! ^-^

I just made myself a big apple pie and it tastes great! ^-^
I bought flour and eggs today and just got the final, steaming, sweet smelling, hot pie out of the oven about 15 minutes ago. The kitchen smells so nice right now! XD

I'm tasting the pie now as it is still warm inside and I realised that I really missed this. Not only the eating of the delicious pie, but the making of it was really relaxing as well :D Apple pie really reminds me of home so as I'm enjoying this piece of sweet, cinnamon coated heaven I'm thinking of Fudge, the smell of home and everyone in it (XD okay I'm exaggerating now, but it really is great considering the stuff I've eaten in the last few weeks O.o; Mostly yoghurt with cereals (no dad no surreals) and tosti's).

I'll probably enjoy this pie for a couple of days to come 'cause, believe it or not, at least 2 of my 4 flatmates (a guy from Dubai just moved in) don't like apple pie! O.O OMG! how can anybody not love applepie! (sorry Lotte, but I just don't get it XD)

Anyway Love you guys!
blog ya later ^-^
~xxx~ Fleury

Flying home for Christmas!

When I came home yesterday after a long Lab session I was very tired. I got some left over sheperds pie, put it in the microwave and watched Heroes with my food on my lap. I was tired, but also slighly relieved because I got the grades of my first 2 labs back. I got a B and an A+!!! I got the A+ on the Lab I did when Mom and Dad were here and I thought I had totally messed that one up. Still I don't really get what they want from us in our labreports, but I guess it'll come in time O.o;

So after I finished season 2 of Heroes I decided to see if Wendy was online and ask her about our trip to London (which is still in the planning stage). We started talking about loads of stuff on MSN, about times and dates and about our flights home for christmas too. We thought it would be really cool to fly home together, so we started looking up cheap flights. After a lot of searching and asking each other again and again about times and flights I remembered my conference call with Lotte and my parents. Wendy was skyping with her father, who was searching for flights too and we could discuss our plans easier if we could actually speak to each other....

So we skyped for quite a while and actually booked a flight home!!!! We're going from Cardiff to Amsterdam on Dec 15th. Cardiff was cheaper, so I told Wendy I could come to her place so we could go to the airport together ^-^ I booked a few busfares as well to go from Soton to London to Cardiff and the return journey on the 2nd of January as well. I'm so looking forward to flying back with Wendy! It'll be a real adventure XD

So, when we finally decided that we should go to bed (1 am) we brushed our teeth together, which was very funny, almost like a sleepover, but further appart O.O .... :D
Then when we'd said goodnight and I was about to jump into bed the friggin fire alarm went off! *-* It almost gave me heart attack! We had to wait in the cold fr 15 minutes untill the stupid thing was turned off..... Almost everyone was drunk when we were outside and everyone stank of beer and cider O.o; I guess that's what Friday night is all about *-*

Anyway when we could go back inside I was wide awake of course, the firealarm and the cold made sure of that and now I had to get myself back to sleep.... It took a while, but I had gotten up at 7 and it was already 1:30, so I really WAS very tired XD

Thus, my B and A+, the prospect of going to London with Wendy and then a few weeks later flying home for christmas with her left me in a very good mood :D I hope to make an apple pie today, but I'd have to get some ingredients first O.o; I'll have to call my friends and ask if they want to go to ASDA with me XD

Key so I'll keep you up to date on my apple pie debacle :D
Love you guys!
~xxx~ Fleury

One of my Moods O.o;

This afternoon (4:30 pm)I was in one of my moods again, which is a very good sign! XD I was in my kitchen and was staring at the kilo's of apples my parents brought me and I just had to do something :D

I started thinking about recipes and I realised that I didn't have any flour to make an applepie, so that was something I would probably buy in the next few days and make apple pie for my friends in the weekend. Thinking about cooking made me really WANT TO COOK! It was like a little voice in my head was telling me to eat the potatoes and carrots that were wasting away (sprouting new life actually ^-^) in my cupboard.

I made sheperds pie! Lotte's recipe XD (Love you sis!) And of course after all my time in the kitchen I'm sitting behind my computer with a burnt tongue... O.O It just looked so delicious! O.o;

Having one of my cooking moods, however, is not only a very good thing for my stomach but I'd also like to see it as a sign that I'm settling in. I like it here, but I've been thinking a lot about home since my parents left. I realised in the last couple of days, however, that home is not where my head is supposed to be; It's here that it's supposed to be, studying and having loads of fun! I'm going to live here for at least 3 years, maybe even longer, so I have to see this place as my home now; I have to live here as if it's my home, because this place, it IS my home now.

Thus after this long philosophical blabbering of mine I'd like to leave you on the good note that I am very happy here and my playstation game arrived today! Yeey!!! Thanx Mac! It only took 2 days to arrive and I'm going to try it out this weekend, with a piece of apple pie on my lap hopefully :D

Love you guys! Hope to cook super delicious and complicated dishes for you at Christmas!
~xxx~ Fleury

Weekend with Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad just left, journeying back home on a cloudy day. They left me on a good note, but still I could not, of course, hold back my tears. Tears of love for them and for the fear of being alone again. I know that I'll be just fine, but saying goodbye knowing that you won't be able to see them and hold them for a long time is still very hard.

I'm sitting in my room now, crying and listening to Ja Zuster Nee Zuster: "Duifies, duifies kom maar bij ons, wat een mooie veertjes wat een lekker dons. Duifies, duifies wat zijn ze mak! 17 duifies boven op het dak!" My tears are of joy and love and they just need to flow for the time being ^-^

So, on a more joyful note I will recap the last few days for you now.
On Friday they came, they arrived between 9:30 and 10 am I think. I'd already been up since 7:30, anticipating their arrival and preparing for the days' lectures. When they finally came (the morning seemed to take ages! O.o;) I was super happy and I couldn't wait for them to get out of the car XD

We started by unpacking the car and the amount of stuff that came out was insane! I think I'm the one with the most stuff in Halls on the whole campus O.O We unpacked the whole car and most of the boxes in about 2 hours. Then mom and dad dropped me off at uni, because I had lectures from 12 to 2 and then Labs from 2 to 5:30. I don't mind my schedule that much, but on Friday I just could not get my mind to focus. Luckily the lectures where mostly stuff I had already covered in IB, but my Lab was horrible. I just could not focus on the experiment and during recrystallisation I made a huge mistake, which cost me a huge loss in yield (meaning that I lost a lot of products, because of my mistake). When I was done I couldn't get home fast enough and walked to campus in record time *-*

When I got home we did some more unpacking and started preparing for diner. We made raspberry (frambozen) tiramisu and tika massala for a big diner with most of my friends and my flatmates. During cooking I was a bit careless and cut the top of my thumb off while cutting onions... It was bleeding so much! All this blood, the shock and the frustration of this having to happen today caused me to burst into tears of course.... O.o; (I'm so emotional when my family shows up!) The diner was a success nonetheless though :D The friends that came were:
Iman, from Libanon studying Artificial Intelligence; Verena, from Germany studying something very difficult involving ship science, saying she's going to quit all the time; Peter, from Poland studying first year ship science; Sheena, from Hong Kong (but living in the UK for already 8 years) studying 3rd year psychology; And my flatmates Dionysia studying accounting/finance and Jazine studying politics and spanish. Unfortunately George (from Zimbabwe) couldn't come, because he was ill. But it was a very lovely evening and in the end my baby photos came out causing lots of laughs and awwwww's ^-^ We washed up and left for the B&B.

The next day, after having slept very well in the B&B we got an English breakfast and left to the city center to do some more shopping. We bought a TV, printer, blender/mixer and a long network cable. When we went to look for some Brahs for my sister (which of course were not in stock..) we walked by a clothes shop showing some very nice dresses. Dad said I should try them on, so after some cauxing, I did. I tried on a very cute red dress, which was perfect for christmas, but also for summer. Dad said he wanted me to have it, so he bought it for me ^-^ I will have to search for stockings (panties) but when I find them I'll wear it for him XD (I'll send him a photo of me in the dress).

After shoppping we drove to Lindhurst and walked in a very pretty park and had tea and cake in a cute tea house (I stupidly forgot my camera, so no pictures this time O.o;). Unfortunately I was starting to get a bit ill as the flu was going round and my voice was protesting.... I could only talk in whispers..... very annoying O.o; After our walk and snack we drove back to our B&B where Dad took a nap and me and Mom watched some "Brothers and Sisters" and "Coast". I love watching TV with Mom; Cuddled up against each other, acting like little heaters for each other under the blankets. After having rested a while we went out for diner at the Italian restaurant where we had deserts last time we were in Southampton. The diner was very nice, but the organisation of the kitchen and staff lacked a bit. Afterwards we went back to the B&B, watched some "Little Britain USA" and went to sleep.

Today, this morning, we had another English breakfast, dad payed for the room and we drove back to my room. We did a little more organising and we went to my friends' flat to say goodbye to them, but they didn't open the door, so they were probably still asleep. We walked back, hugged each other in the sun (tears flowing from my eyes of course, because I had to say goodbye again...) and then after saying goodbye a million times when Mom and Dad where already in the car, they drove off. I had no tears, but when I got to my room they flowed readily, realising that I wouldn't see them for a long time and missing them already.

Now in my room, tears still flow, but they are happy tears. Tear of love and in the memory of the last few days. I have some more unpacking to do today and I'm going to try out the new game my sister gave me on my playstation. I'll probably won't come to much studying, but at least I can really settle in now that I have all my stuff with me.

I'm thinking of Mom and Dad, hugging each other in the car and on the boat, missing me already as well ^-^ And I'm thinking of Fudge, his soft fur against my skin and his loud purring vibrating through my belly as he's laying on my lap. These are happy thoughts and memories. I'm holding on to them, loving all the people I left behind and looking forward to chirstmas, when I can get home again.