East Coast #1

 Not in order of the trip but just some main attractions visited.

At Alexandria, border of Canada and New York State.

1000 Islands- Alexandria Bay, was cruising around all the little islands

The 1000 islands has a love history about a king to his wife

 Corning Glass Museum:

the glass guru burning the glass and make it into shape

Washington DC

The Capitol

Smithsonian Aircraft Museum

Philadelphia city

Back to NYC

Central Park, Manhattan

Central Park Lake

More of Central Park

Metropolitan Museum

Buffalo, NY - Home to Niagara Falls!

 Yee Pin and I got soaking wet from the waterfall splashes when we were cruising by the majestic falls!

 Purely amazing eh? :)

Missing the May Summer

Following the previous post about the south roadtrip in US, I'll continue on the East Coast trip.

Pictures are soooo slow to upload, I'll edit the post next time.

I'll just briefly reminisced the places I've visited. I started off in New York City and slept a night in Queens, not Manhattan. It's the dodgiest place ever! There's totally no whites there, no joke! All hispanic. The following day I followed a 3 day tour to Philadelphia, Washington DC, Niagara Falls, 1000 Islands - Alexandria bay, between Canada and New York.

After the 3-day tour, I solo travelled in NYC and visited those tourist attractions. Wall St, United Nations, Rockefeller, Top of the Rock Observatory, Cruise around Manhattan, 5th Avenue, Times Square etc.

I took a midnight bus to Boston myself and overnight in Boston Bus Station. Yes, I'm on a budget. :P Once the day was bright, I started the Boston trip and navigated around the city either by walking or the hop on hop off bus. 1 day was definitely tooo short! I had no time for MIT and Harvard, biggest disappointment! I was crazy enough as I really hope to at least step into the Harvard compound. At 9ish at night I took a train to Harvard Yard and walked around the town of Cambridge. Sadly the Harvard Business School is far away and dark, I scraped the plan and just lingered in Harvard Yard :(

Got back at probably 11 or 12am, and my cab came at 430am to go Logan Airport for the flight to Atlanta.

Atlanta was once an Olympic Host on 1996. Anyways, I was there for an economics conference. I think I'm like the most un-knowledgeable economics student ever! Everyone there was superbly intellectual, knowing which economist did which research, wrote what book, create what theory. :/

But it was amazing to have stayed in Hyatt Regency hotel, with daily breakfast which cost $18.50 all fully sponsored. Daily lunch and dinner were sponsored too and they were quality meals! 5 luxurious days past by quickly and I didn't even enjoyed most of it due to some sicknesses and problems in eating. Boooo! However, I had the time to visit CNN headquarters, World of Coca Cola, Atlanta downtown and an event - Redbull Soapbox Car Race.

It was 2 weeks of intense travels right after the south roadtrip. I fell really sick afterwards. But to think back now, it is worthwhile :)

To summarise my 5 months in the states, I covered 18 cities. :D

The major places I've  missed are San Francisco, Yosmite National Park, North Dakota and Texas. Not sure when would I have the finances to go US again. :/

I like most of the things there, I miss walmart, I miss my uni, I miss the premium outlets and cheapppp shopping, I miss Disneyworld and I miss the snowflake-shape snow.

Praise the Lord!

Well, some of my close friends might know the past 3 weeks was the toughest days of mine ever!

I was down with some bacteria infection which was not recovering. First started off in NY, then I seen 2 doctors in Atlanta, no progress.

Then I reach London, I seen 3 doctors, I visited hospitals, clinics and pharmacies more than everywhere else. I changed so many medicine. It's so depressing when I woke up everyday and didn't see progress. I was utterly distress and sad.

I have the friends to thank for which let me ramble and rant in the midst of their finals via whatsapp. And gotta thank them for keeping me in their prayers too! Of course not to be forgotten my ama and mum sure have prayed for my recovery. But most of all, I want to thank dear Father Lord Jesus! I have made good progress now though it's not completely healed yet. But I believe in few more days time, I will be completely freeeeee! :)

There's some healing verses too which I found and reading them aloud and affirm it plus personalizing it help me through the days.

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Exodus 15:2 

The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

Exodus 23:25

Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take sickness from among you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Deuteronomy 32:39 

I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Psalm 5:1-3

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. 2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

Psalm 6:2

Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony.

Psalm 23:4

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-- of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 30:2

O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.

Psalm 103: 2-4

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

Psalm 107:19-20

19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 20 He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.

Psalm 121: 7-8

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Proverbs 3:7-8

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Jeremiah 17:14

Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

Jeremiah 30:17

But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, 'because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.'

Jeremiah 33:6 

" 'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.

Malachi 4:2

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. 

New Testament: -

Matthew 7:7-8

7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

  

Mark 11:24

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Luke 10:19

 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

John 15:7

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

John 16:33

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

1 John 5:14

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

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:D

Summer Roadtrip

I am back from a roadtrip down south covering 3 states, 4 cities.

I firstly went to my high school friend's city, Carbondale, 3 hours train ride from Champaign. Took Amtrak on the 13th May and finally got to meet Yee Pin! Though we just met when she was back to penang during her winter break in December 2011. We are officially graduates now! 

4 of us in total went for the trip, with Yee Pin's friends.

#1 Memphis, Tennessee - City of Blues Music 

 We had a tour in Elvis Presley Mansion. Then we went to downtown Memphis which is Beale Street. Since the city is famous for music, most of the dining places have bands entertaining the guests. This city is also famous for its BBQ ribs and pork along with fried pickles.

Elvis Presley Disc Collection inside his mansion

Beale St in the evening

Band @ BB King Restaurant

#2 New Orleans, Louisiana - City of Jazz

Another music town with french history. The major attraction is the French Quarter, Jackson Square and the French Market. We also went to Louisiana State Museum, Mardi Gras exhibition and Hurricane Katrina's museum. Pretty educational eh? This city is known for its red beans and rice somehow.

French Quarter

St Louis Cathedral

French Beignets and Cafe au lait

French Market

#3 Miami, Florida

Way down south with beaches. Unfortunately the rain decided to pour down. I had little time spent in Miami Beaches. :( Nevertheless, I had a 'special' experience in a certain beach there. haha. At night, we went to a cafe/bar place at Ocean Drive for dinner. I tried margarita for the first time too. 

Red velvet cheese and traditional cheese cake topped with strawberries!

@ The Cheesecake Factory, Aventura Mall

#4 Orlando, Florida

It is a place to relive your childhood! We went to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Disney World, Magic Kingdom Park. It was a rather express visit as there are 2 parks for Universal and 4 parks for Disney. Toooo expensive! One ticket to each park cost us $96! I enjoyed a few rides, Harry Potter ones, Spider man simulation ride etc. Water rides as well in which we were all soaking wet! I also tried butter beer which was kinda nice and sweet.

Disney is a cuter place, meant for younger children, hence lesser rides but it has its own fun. I enjoyed some 3d shows, space mountain coaster, teacup etc! We went on Monday thinking it would be lesser people. We were absolutely wrong! It's jam packed, seriously crazy human jam.

  

Harry Potter park

The crowd

I love disney world's fireworks, too awesome! No photos though.

I got back to Carbondale this morning after a 15 hour journey as we had rest and pit stops in between for meals.

Overall, I am really glad that I was able to visit those dream places that I had in mind. 

Next stop - New York, Washington DC, Niagara Falls, Boston, Atlanta. Solo travelling for both Boston and Atlanta. Fingers crossed. It will be another adventure before I leave the US for good on June 12!

Undergrad degree? Checked.

Hi blog. It's been mega longggg!

My exchange in University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has come to an end. This also implies that I am done forever with my degree! No more classes and exams.

All my friends left. I'm saddd, so gonna miss them!

They are the ones I eat with almost everyday.
We went around campus to take photos.
We went travelling together.
We attended exchange students' events, basketball tournament, musical..
We took a midnight cab to Savoy to catch Avengers, random decision.
We had deep and fun conversations at times.

It's a short 4 months, but it seems we knew each other much longer than that.

Sara, Mexico - pretty sweet girl whom is always very understanding, she is also very diligent.

Gabriel, Mexico - funny guy who always like to say: immediately! 'In theory, this must be...', SURE. Gentleman too!

Tong, Thailand - from ANU! The intellectual and Sara's walking dictionary and wikipedia. haha!

Henry, Hong Kong - from CUHK. Outgoing and THIN(he prefers slim, hah!) guy who likes to make fun of people but really nice too.

I will miss all of them much especially mexico, so far away, not sure when could we meet again. But we said the reunion in either Asia or Hawaii when we work and earn money. Waiting for it to come true!