1st swim PE today...It wasn't so bad, just that it has been months since I've seriously swum, like 2 years hiatus?
After the grouping exercise thingy, I seriously felt like a dead fish or something.
Freestyle to and fro really killed me. Man, I just so weak.
I professed not knowing frogstyle, I just want to get it right, although I think it will take some time for me to get it right, considering I struggled with the form for 1 year before raising the white flag.

School's okay and probably getting proper.
Tests are coming mainly in the 4th week and textbooks are FINALLY on sale.
Glad I didn't rush to get Chemistry.
I spent like 108 bucks on Economics flat. John Sloman's Economics and O'Sullivan's. Just heard the harsh truth that Sloman's is more appropriate for H1 people >__<.
Stuff are certainly expensive here in JCs.
Just one goddamn calculator burns off 200 bucks. Its a necessity. Although I was kinda tempted to go with the cheaper alternative (Casio Graphic Calculator), guess what? All kinds of explanations are all done in TI's Graphic Calc. Plus, TI's rumored to be able to play games (?!) on. I seriously don't expect much, but Snakes would be nice =).

Really happy that I'm getting closer to the new people in 1sc2, athough I spend most time with the 'old people'.
Fun Fact 1 : Many canoeists (sp?) and shooters >_<
Fun Fact 2 : Canoeing and voluntary PE has become the norm in the class.

Can't think of anymore. Just freaking tired.
Plus I have to be more passionate about my CCA. Just too many people say I express deep hatred for it that I feel guilty.
Since I joined it, then I should take responsibility.
I feel guilty for missing this Saturday's practice. As much as I would like to be present, my parents still have the final say.

I think I have some serious mood-swing issues.
One moment I'm laughing my ass off, the next, I feel like killing someone...

Damn.

I thought it would be cool to leave school at 1.10pm daily for 1 week. Cause its Lecture-only week.
But I was wrong, SO wrong.
Its boring. Period.
Tuesday was the worst.
At least today I won like 3 rounds of Bridge, its amazing for someone of my intellect.
Coincidentally, this week is the J2s term tests, which means NO CCA!
Plus, I found out that our class is down for SWIM PE! How cool is that ._.
At least it falls on a Thursday, not Wednesday or something, if not, the LT3 will stink of fluorine =).

Being in JC really makes me feel weird. I'm away from my usual mugging schedule, cause everything seems uncertain.
I sure hope I don't land myself in excessive tuition during JC...>_<

Just finished posting all my Spain pictures, in which MADRID has ZERO pictures posted. Maybe because I shopped too much in there. Pity I didn't take a picture of the dining table in which the whole tour group sat and dine. Pork knuckles and roasted pig were the main dish and it was the only time where I took more than 2 glasses of Sangria...=)

Toledo ++ Toledo is under UNESCO Heritage, the WHOLE city. So its kind of nice to see most of the town like it was then. Of course, there have been some major changes, but it still looks...not-like-a-modern town from afar. No skyscrapers, no metal buildings etc etc.

I like their road there, its all cobblestones...

Plus, even vehicles can drive through 'walkway', so there is no clearcut ROAD when cobblestones are involved.

Toledo ++ Sword Shop ++ I thought swords were history, only reality in Hollywood. But hey, Toledo's famous for their smithing! The swords look great, cause I've never seen anything like those in Singapore. Some were copies of swords held by famous people. Don't know if the design is real, but who cares? Other than 'western' swords, they also have 'eastern' swords. Yep! Short Japanese swords and katanas (if I'm not mistaken). These metals have heavy prices on them, so pictures will suffice.

P/S : The rapier there looks real cool.

Portugal ++ Fatima ++ A frontal view of the whole area.

Portugal ++ Fatima ++ Inside the Basilica ++ 3 big organs. I went to the basilica when they has Mass. The FIRST real catholic mass in my 16 years. Theres this part which kind of surprised me. The guy leading the mass said something in Portugese and then everyone started moving towards each other and kiss each other's cheeks, not direct, but the action. My mom and I were standing at the back, so we didn't expect much attention. But there was this Portugese lady who went us to us and kissed our cheeks. Of course we did 'reciprocate' her actions, but I really didn't expect anyone to come up to strangers this easily. Probably she thought we were of the same religion, which made us not strangers, despite having yellow skin, black hair and brown eyes. The whole day, I was kind of happy, so be actually approached by a stranger (for the good reasons) and I didn't actually 'stone' but 'reply' to her action.

Portugal ++ Fatima ++ The place where Mary apparated. Apparently Mary instructed the children to have a small chapel to be built. Many people now come here to pray, to pray for a miracle.

An interesting thing is, during Mary's apparitions, she revealed 3 secrets to the children. Only the first 2 are known, the last shrouded with mystery.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Secrets_of_Fatima]

Portugal ++ Fatima ++ One great place. My mom's catholic friend recommended her to go there, she said the aura of the place was kind of sacred and gave people a peace of mind. Maybe I'm too young to really understand those stuff, but yeah, it IS a holy place. Afterall, its one of the most famous places where Mary apparated.

The tall building on the left is Fatima's basilica, where the 3 children who saw Mary's apparition were buried.

Francisco and Jacinta Marto, Lucia dos Santos.

Only Lucia lived to an old age. The other 2 died young.

Portugal ++ Lisbon ++ Some street, I forgot what. We had to travel by their underground train, and it was kind of cool. People were using their 'ezlink' (okay, so thats not the real name) cards and we bought 2 way tickets with the help of an operator, we went as a group by the way. It was nighttime when we realised that the large electric christmas tree was switched on, so we stopped to take a few shots. The arches were kind of pretty too.

Portugal ++ Lisbon ++ Jeronimo’s Monastery ++ Didn't spend much time here as it was closed =(. I remember it has some desgins on it that concerns sea travels...>.<. Instead of wasting our time doing nothing, we decided (the whole group) to eat the famous PORTUGESE EGG TARTS. And YES, it was DELICIOUS. The tarts just came popping out from the oven endlessly and people grabbed them when they were piping hot. Its GREAT. The cafe's (Pasteis de Belem) has great coffee too. The tart is great, they have other pastries as well...=)

Seville ++ Plaza de España ++ I remember it as some exhibition of countries and Spain was hosting it. 1929? We spent the most time at Spain's (duh). It featured all the states in the country and pictures that depict the most significant event. (1st picture's an example).

This place is really huge, even some horse rides(?!) to go round the plaza.

Seville ++ Distance away from Church of Seville ++ Thats the bell tower in the far distance. It was HERE, that I tasted my first and my last, strong Sangría, which is (from Wikipedia, again) a wine punch (more formally and precisely, a fortified wine) which originated in Portugal and Spain. The word sangria comes from the Spanish "sangre" meaning blood. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangria]

Okay, so some couple bought a jar, cause on day one of the trip, the tour guide recommended us to try Sangría everywhere we went. It was kind of mild in Barcelona, so everyone didn't expect much...till that day. It was so STRONG! Extremely fruity and STRONG. I think if I finished the jar, it might be my last jar. As far as I can remember, I drank glasses of it in Madrid, I went very pink, but SOBER.

Seville + Church of Seville (Interior) ++ GOLD. Yea, I sure hope its real. I didn't really take notice of their significance, but they look important, haha.

Seville + Church of Seville (Interior) ++ Okay, the main part where people sit down and pray. This whole thing is gold, and I believe it, cause religions can do such stuff. The whole piece depicts Jesus and his life I guess. This is is MASSIVE, HUGH, EXTRAORDINARY. Its amazing.

Seville + Church of Seville (Interior) ++ Organs, who can leave out organs in a cathedral such as this? These are large ones. All it needs is one player I think. Behind the 'gates' are seats, for whom, I'm not too sure...>.<. But, its LARGE. I bet it produces good sounds. On the side note, this cathedral houses Christopher Columbus's grave/coffin. Its grand.

Seville + Church of Seville (Interior) ++ Some rooms which houses some treasures. Apparently, I got fascinated about the FLOOR and I took a picture of it...too dark to appreciate I think.

Seville ++ Cathedral of Seville ++ Exterior of the cathedral. I don't think this is the front part, but its nevertheless nice. Wondering why theres so much orange and yet they are still on the tree's branches? No, its not that its too high to reach...these oranges are BITTER/SOUR stuff, not really people's favourites. But they are used to make marmalades, where they add a sugar to make it taste sweet. So, not all stuff free are exactly good.

Seville ++ La Girada ++ The bell tower of the Cathedral of Seville. The tower is actually a minaret of the Almohad mosque. An architect later converted the minaret into a bell tower. On top of it sits a weathervane, the statue on it came to be known as Giraldillo.

Granada ++ Alhambra ++ Basically a LARGE Mocárabe/ Stalactite work . Resembles a large honeycomb, hehe.

Granada ++ Alhambra ++ Court of the Lions ++ Quarters for the sultan and his family I think. Too bad its under repair, so no water =(.

Granada ++ Alhambra ++ Basically different views of the same place. This is infront of where the sultan does his work / speak with his ministers.

Granada ++ Alhambra ++ Okay, I think this is the place where the sultan sits and talks with his fellow ministers. According to the tour guide, the 'window' casts light on the sultan, making him look holy and important, because, THAT is the only window.

Granada ++ Alhambra ++ Mocárabe (ornamental desgin) was constructed in a variety of materials including wood and plaster. Under the Nasrid, mocárabe was originally carved into its medium. Later on, moulds were made to cast the designs with clay or plaster.
-from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moc%C3%A1rabe)

Apparently these stuff really can stay on for long! From what I heard, the stuff they use to sustain these works are...applying egg white after putting them on the walls. On how they make these stuff, they make the negative of the design as a mould.

Granada ++ Alhambra ++ Patio of the palace of Charles V. Apparently conquerors began to alter the Alhambra...=(

Granada ++ Alhambra ++ 3 different views of the same place! Fountains are real common this this place, especially in the Palacio de Generalife (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generalife).

Granada ++ Alhambra ++ Another walkway with greenery. This time, nearer to the main buildings, which is of course, equally nice, if not, better.

Granada ++ Alhambra ++ Forgot what this was, but the white buildings in the background is the Albayzín, still a part of Granada. Its supposed to be a medieval moorish town. Narrow windy roads...=)

Granada ++ Alhambra ++ Another picture of the fountain and greenery! It just looks good =)

Granada ++ Alhambra ++ I just so love this place. Its so pretty and calm. In the next few pictures, notice that the fountains are all one-of-a-kind? I guess muslims like serene atmospheres. Just to let you know, Alhambra is...
(From Wikipedia)
The Alhambra (Arabic: الحمراء = Al Ħamrā'; literally "the red") is an ancient palace and fortress complex of the Moorish monarchs of Granada, in southern Spain (known as Al-Andalus when the fortress was constructed), occupying a hilly terrace on the south-eastern border of the city of Granada. It was the residence of the Muslim kings of Granada and their court, but is currently a museum exhibiting exquisite Islamic architecture.

Valencia ++ Cathedral of Valencia ++ Built between the 13th and 15th century. Gothic style, but has elements of Baroque and Romanesque architecture.

Valencia ++ City of Arts and Sciences ++ Looks like an eye =). Its called L'Hemisfèric, a 3-D Cinema. In other words, The Hemisphere.

Valencia ++ City of Arts and Sciences ++ Museum. The architect is kinda nice, although I don't think the water is for swimming.

Valencia ++ Science Park ++ Big place. Those white grills? They are the foundations for creeper plants to grow on. Probably a few years down the road, this whole stretch will be green, filled with plants etc etc. I think it will be pretty.

Decided to update my blog on the Spain trip once and for all. No more backlogs. Or rather, does anyone see this blog ever? I'm starting to think this is useless, but what the heck. Maybe someday someone sees this blog and gets a rough idea of how these places look and I end up doing advertisement!
I'm staying in ACJC for good, can't go anywhere else, stuck in 1SC2, with half of the 'old' ones gone. Only 22 people! Sweet! Smaller is better. Guess what, 1SC1 has 30? Thats just too many.
Happy to say that I found good friends and I hope my stay in ACJC will be a good one. I forsee my days in ACCO as eventful? Thank you Jia Ying, Clarrissa, Meiqi, Stevie. Thanks to all my classmates in 1SC2 old and new.

Valencia ++ Dolls ++ Just walking around the town and we saw dolls. Obviously they were rather expensive, so I took a picture of them, beats bringing back home nothing, eh?

Valencia ++ Bull ring ++ I think its in use? But there are shops open at this time of the day, my mom got a pair of leather(?) gloves at a great price apparently.