So, the day that I have (sort of) long awaited in my life has finally arrived. Graduation. 25 April 2008 for the b-school commencement ceremony at Crisler Arena, and the college-wide graduation ceremony on 26 April 2008. It is really a bitter-sweet feeling. Knowing that the efforts of the past 3 years spent burning countless midnight oils, days spent toiling in the b-school study rooms and library, anxiety, sleepless nights, laughter and tears have been worthwhile, and also have come to an end. The feeling of emptiness starts to creep in every so slightly. However, in this period of joy and also semi-loss of direction in life, a new hope also awaits. The indescribable joy of hope and opportunity for happiness once again. It has, indeed, been one hell of a roller coaster ride.
Staying true to the past few posts which have detailed my last 2 weeks in school, I shall do the same for this post for my final week in school all through to graduation. So if long narratives bore you, please skip this post. People often ask me why I write down all these mundane stuff. Well, things which appear really mundane to everyone are really the bits and pieces which make my life interesting and they mean an awful lot to me. Thus, the long-draggy posts. =)
20 April 2008, Sunday
Woke up to study like crazy for my international finance exam. Worked through the given problem sets almost 10 times and I was dead determined to ace (ace as in A+) the class. All compulsory and optional questions, and 10 times is not even an exagerration; it could very well be an understatement. Most of the day was pretty uneventful. Just endless mugging. Val came back from lunch with her thanksgiving dinner hosts and we met up after dinner (Za's for me! Chicken, red peppers and pineapple with creamy pesto sauce as always). Studied in the b-school well into the night and great company always helps.
21 April 2008, Monday
The final exam of my undergraduate education finally arrived. 7pm to 10pm, 3 hours worth of intense working through exchange rates, swaps, futures, futures puts, calls on puts, and all other fancy derivatives to hedge forex risks. Had lots of fun doing the paper and was relieved, but also a little sad to be done with my exams. Nonetheless, headed home, grabbed my laptop and met up with Val for dinner at Chili's. Awesome food and great way to celebrate the completion of my final exam in college. The burger they served was simply delicious! Headed over to the Chem Engin building up north (for the first time ever in my life), and did random stuff on my comp while Val finished up with her research which she had to complete for her mentor / prof. Interesting place.
22 April 2008, Tuesday
Val's parents arrived around noon and I spent the most part of the day sorting out stuff back home, and also went for a run / nap in the Arb. The trees were starting to bud and it was getting really beautiful out. Later in the evening, went for my section's final bar crawl. Picked up my bar crawl shirt from Joey's place and went over to Mitch's to play quarters and start the drinking for the night. We moved from Mitch's to the Brown Jug, then Charley's and BTB Cantina. Called it a night after that and didn't head over to Buffalo Wild Wings with the rest of the section because Janine was pretty wasted; called Ming to pick us up to help send Janine home. Headed home and bummed around for a bit, before calling up buddy old pal Jianwei for drinks at Habana. Great times... Will definitely miss the place and the company.
23 April 2008, Wednesday
Picked up Val from her place in the morning and went grocery shopping for the Senior's BBQ that night. Probably one of my last trips to Kroger and China Merch to get the necessary stuff, before heading to her place to settle stuff for the Europe trip. Still have lots of stuff not done yet, so had to try to clear those up as soon as we could. Also, met her parents for the first time. Hopefully that first impression didn't go down too badly.
BBQ at Gallup Park in the evening with the seniors was a pretty good event. Considering that I didn't usually mix much with the rest of the batch, it was a good chance to hang out for a little and also to meet up with my good friends for a last time informally. Food was delicious (Val's potato salad was awesome!), and it was fun to run around in the nice (relatively warm) evening, playing Frisbee and tossing the football (ala college football style). I guess, things were a little awkward initially but was really glad it all worked out fine. A great closing chapter of sorts.
24 April 2008, Thursday
Val drove over in the morning to my place to meet up before we set off for the airport to pick up my parents, Wynne and Clara. Their arrival day was finally here and it was great to see my family again. Much thanks to Val for helping out and picking up my family; wouldn't have known how it would have been possible to fit all of them and their luggages into my (delightfully selfish) coupe. Dropped off a coupled of their luggages in my apartment, thankfully getting approval from my mom on the condition of my home. Went for late lunch at Sadako, having the awesome lunch bento sets and the Sadako roll for my parents and Clara. I brought them on a tour of Central Campus, bringing them to the business school (my second home and a source of infinite pride and joy), Law Quad, the Michigan Union, the grad library, UGLi, and other LSA buildings. The walk also made me reminiscent on all the days and nights which I had spent studying (or having fun) in these places on campus. Going to miss this place so so much.
At the dead-quiet Grad Library Reference Section
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In the evening, sent my parents over to Red Roof Inn and helped them to check into their rooms. Sent Clara and my mom over to the mall for them to shop and do their hair respectively. I dashed home to get changed and to pick up the other two luggages, before returning to the mall (and the hotel) to pick up everyone for dinner. First (and probably last) visit to Gandy Dancer, the famous high-end dining place in Ann Arbor, situated in an old train station, right along the railway tracks (which are still functioning to this day). Food was fabulous and the ambiance was amazing. Shared three entrees (fresh fish) between the five of us, and also had a really tasty appetizer, as well as fresh baked bread/pastry. What an awesome time.
Dad and I at Gandy Dancer
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Brought my family to Whole Foods to check out the famous organic food market (clearly a favorite place for my mom), before sending them back to the hotel. A pretty chilly night by their standards, though I thought it was decently warm. Haha, welcome to Ann Arbor.
25 April 2008, Friday
Had pretty interrupted sleep for the night and went to bed really late, woken up in the morning by a phone call from my dad telling me that they were ready to set off, having taken their complimentary breakfast at the hotel. I picked everyone up, and went over to Tim Hortons nearby to pick up a breakfast sandwich, donut and hot chocolate, before bringing my family over to the Arb. Due to the rain the night before, the Arb was kinda humid and not as nice to walk around in, but still, as dazzling and beautiful as ever. Walked them down from the Geddes entrance to the river and back out through Mary Markley (my freshman dorm). Had to run to park the car at home, and also to pick up my car to ferry them, at both the entrances and exits respectively. Not so fun.
Brought my family to the b-school, with the intention of going for the dean's reception but seeing how dressed up everyone was, we skipped that. Went over to the mall, where my mom grabbed a pair of heels from Aldo at the last minute, and Clara did a little more shopping. I dropped them off at the hotel, before heading home to get changed. Grabbed my graduation attire and hurriely rushed to pick up my family, before heading to Crisler for the business school commencement.
The time had finally arrived! It was awesome to sit in the (sweltering heat) of Crisler Arena, under the spot lights and putting up with great speeches by some, and marginal speeches by others, before the "walk-on-the-stage" graduation ceremony. When my name was called out and I crossed the stage to shake hands with the Dean (Bob Dolan), the university's regent, as well as with the BBA program director (Scott Moore, also my BIT 200 professor), it was probably one of the happiest moments in my parent's lives. I was also absolutely delighted to learn that Val came for the graduation ceremony.
Val came for the Business School Graduation! =)
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Post-Graduation from Business School picture with the dearest people in my life (Kendrew was enroute from the airport)
+(78).JPG)
Here, I want to say my sincere, heartfelt thanks to some of the most important people in my life. Thank you mom, thanks dad, and thanks to the rest of my family and friends for everything they have done to have made it all possible. For all the love ans support, physically, emotionally, financially and just being there whenever I needed them. Through the crazy rollercoaster ride which I had to go through in my 3 years here, they have stuck by me all the time. Thank you, so so much. Thanks to Val for coming to the graduation too amidst her busy schedule. Really appreciated it and it meant a great deal to me. Lastly and really importantly, I want to thank Pat. Dar, if not for your selflessness and blessings to let me come to Michigan, and to experience all of this while you were down, I would not have achieved and become what I am today. Your timeless and selfless love, will always, always have a special place in my heart. Thank you my dear angel...
When the ceremony finally concluded and I met up with my parents, my sis, Clara and Val, my overjoyed mom gave me a big hug. Could see the happiness radiate from her and my dad. I was really happy to be able to let them be so overjoyed for me.
We adjourned to Kai Garden on Main Street, where Kendrew also arrived from the airport and we had good (in my opinion) Chinese food for dinner. It was a great joy to finally be with my entire family once again. Sent my parents and Wynne back to the hotel for the night, and headed out to Habana for drinks with Clara, Kendrew and Clara's two other friends who arrived in the day: Huimin and Peiyu. Forgot to tell the girls to bring their passports for the trip, so only three of us ended up getting some drinks. Hung out for quite awhile there until past 1am before sending them back to Red Roof Inn.
26 April 2008, Saturday
Woke up bright and early to head over to pick up my family from Red Roof Inn. They overslept and I had to wait for them to get dressed and grab breakfast. Sheesh, considering that I slept really late the night before, and I still managed to get there on time. Haha, the business school has trained me well. It was a pretty gloomy Saturday morning and I parked the car back at home.
Walked over to the Diag with my family and seated them, before gathering with the other Singaporeans for the procession onto the Diag. Sat next to Val and Jianwei, and it was a really beautiful graduation. First time ever in the history of the university that anyone is graduating on the Diag. It was a really special and momentous occasion. The keynote speaker Bob Woodruff was awesome, so was the great speech by student speaker Andres M. Ramos (link to speech). When the time finally came to sing the Victors for a final time, it was a moving moment. I was finally an alumnus of one of the greatest institutions (in my opinion) of the world, the University of Michigan. We sang the Victors at the top of our voices for the final time as students, heading out into the world, bleeding maize and blue. As we sang the Victors, the sun came out from beneath the clouds, the entire Diag lit up, and we walked out of the place, warm and proud. Took lots of photos with my family, and went over to the b-school for more pictures.
One of the most important days in my time in Michigan. We've graduated!
+(80).JPG)
I brought my parents over to Za's (gasp!) for lunch, with me eating my usual creamy pesto pasta, while they ordered a variety of food. Glad to see them enjoying it. I sent my dad, sis and Wynne back to the hotel, while Ming brought my mom, Clara, Huimin and Peiyu to Birch Run for a shopping trip.
I rushed over down Washtenaw to pick up a bouquet of flowers and sped over to Crisler Arena, hoping that I wasn't too late. Sat through a (even more boring than b-school) commencement ceremony, but was still glad to be there for such an important day. And of course, seeing Val cross the stage and graduate was a great joy. Would have loved to spend more time there but duty to family calls, and I headed off.
Caught a half hour nap before going to pick up everyone for dinner at Seoul Garden. The food was alright I guess, not as fantastic as it used to be. Sent my parents back to the hotel to pack up their stuff after. Brought Huimin, Clara and Peiyu out to Cold Stone for ice-cream. Haven't had that in a long time, so it was decent. Cheesecake fantasy is good as always. Sent the girls home and headed over to Val's temporary apartment (Lynn's place at Willow Tree) to help move stuff up into her apartment from her car. We went over to Island Drive to pick up some other stuff which she wanted to ship back to Singapore and brought it all over to my place. Tired out, but happy happy times.
27 April 20008, Sunday
Sent my parents early in the morning to the airport, saying farewells for now until I return to Singapore. Kai Ming kindly helped send my parents to the airport, and the girls hopped into my car, setting off for Canada. It was a long and exhausting drive up to Niagara, stopping over only for lunch at a service center along the way. Was pretty glad when we finally arrived there and checked into Water's Edge Inn. Took the shuttle bus from the hotel over to the Casino, where we walked around the town for a bit. Walked down the hill to the falls and was once again, wowed by the grandeur of nature. Millions of cubic feet of water tumbling over the edges, timelessly carving their path through solid rock. Simply amazing.
The Majestic Niagara Falls
+(7).JPG)
Had dinner at Kelsey's, which served predominantly American fare. We went back to the falls when the sky had turned dark to see the falls being illuminated. It was a pretty magical sight to see the falls getting lit up with different colors, with the water cascading over the edges in the dark.
Night view of the falls
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Green lights!
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Took the 10:40pm bus back to the inn, showered and went to the lobby to use the net. Relocated to inside my car, where I could get both internet connection and T-mobile coverage (since US is just separated from where I was by the gorge). Talking to someone back in Ann Arbor was just awesome.
28 April 2008, Monday
Went over to Simon's Restaurant, which was near to the falls once again for breakfast. Never thought I would have had the chance to return for another visit again. Signed the guestbook at this more-than-century-old restaurant and took my breakfast, while staring in awe at the vast "treasures" which was present. What an awesome restaurant / museum.
Drove down Niagara Parkway to the Horseshoe Falls, where we went for the "Journey Under the Falls" attraction. Took a lift down and walked down a tunnel which led to two openings behind the falls. Seeing the water from above crashing down as a huge curtain in front of my very eyes was surreal. Spotting several pennies lying on the ground, I thought, why the heck not; I took out a nickel (I surprisingly ran out of 1 cent coins) and tossed it far out into the falls after making a silent wish. We also went out to the platform where we could view the gorge and falls close up, getting thoroughly drenched by the spray despite our ponchos.
At the platform looking out into the gorge
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Following which, we went for a tour at Jackson-Triggs vineyard, where we took a quick tour of the winery and also did some sampling of the red, white and ice wines. We had the opportunity to sample the most expensive (and best) ice wine they produced instead of the lowest-end one, courtesy of a very nice tour guide! It tasted simply heavenly.
Jackson-Triggs Winery
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In late afternoon, we drove into the city of Toronto and checked into our hostel: Global Village Backpackers. We had a quad room for ourselves on the top floor, which was pretty sweet since it looked out into the city and CN Tower. After dinner at a sports bar, we went up CN Tower to take some breathtaking pictures and also to watch the sunset.
A trip to Toronto is always incomplete without a shot of the CN Tower
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Sunset atop CN Tower
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Night view of the tower
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29 April 2008, Tuesday
Pancakes for breakfast in the hostel before we checked out and set off for Kensington Market. It was kinda a let down since it was just a couple of shops on a small street. We headed into Chinatown for a walk, before heading into 客满楼 (Forestview Chinese Restaurant) to have some authentic dim sum, served traditional-style with push-carts. Awesome and fulfilling lunch. Headed back to pick up the car and went over to Casa Loma, the most notable castle in Toronto, and stayed there for approximately 2 hours. It was a really elaborate and interesting place, with some pretty amazing architecture, and of course, complete with underground tunnels and "secret" passageways.
Beautiful Casa Loma
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One of the many magnificent rooms within the castle
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Following which, we went for our final stop at Pacific Mall, eating (once again, in my opinion), the best 豆花 in the world. Silky smooth tau huay was just pure bliss. Clara went to pick up some biscuits at a nearby supermarket before we went for dinner at 喜刷刷. Individual steamboat buffet, with awesome selection of food, resulted in 4 very stuffed people.
Best Tau Huay in the World!
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The place is seriously called 喜刷刷
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The drive back to Ann Arbor was a lot more bearable since everyone was pretty much awake and chatting or requesting for old boy-band songs on Clara's mp3 player. The night concluded when we got back to Ann Arbor, and the girls stayed in my room while I took the couch for the night. Of course, being back in the US / Ann Arbor was a real relief and I felt that I was "at home" once again. Actually missed being in Ann Arbor a ton, for the brief 3 days I was away.
30 April 2008, Wednesday
Early morning excursion to Kerrytown to check out the small market there, but since the fish store wasn't serving until 11am, we adjourned to Angelo's for a huge breakfast. After we got back to my apartment, the girls did some final packing before they were on their way to the airport and headed home for Singapore. I sorted out some of my stuff, packed a little, went for a run and caught up on my sleep for the most part of the day. It feels great to be back in Ann Arbor. Boy, am I going to miss this place...
Wilson
1 May 2008
1:15AM
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Staying true to the past few posts which have detailed my last 2 weeks in school, I shall do the same for this post for my final week in school all through to graduation. So if long narratives bore you, please skip this post. People often ask me why I write down all these mundane stuff. Well, things which appear really mundane to everyone are really the bits and pieces which make my life interesting and they mean an awful lot to me. Thus, the long-draggy posts. =)
20 April 2008, Sunday
Woke up to study like crazy for my international finance exam. Worked through the given problem sets almost 10 times and I was dead determined to ace (ace as in A+) the class. All compulsory and optional questions, and 10 times is not even an exagerration; it could very well be an understatement. Most of the day was pretty uneventful. Just endless mugging. Val came back from lunch with her thanksgiving dinner hosts and we met up after dinner (Za's for me! Chicken, red peppers and pineapple with creamy pesto sauce as always). Studied in the b-school well into the night and great company always helps.
21 April 2008, Monday
The final exam of my undergraduate education finally arrived. 7pm to 10pm, 3 hours worth of intense working through exchange rates, swaps, futures, futures puts, calls on puts, and all other fancy derivatives to hedge forex risks. Had lots of fun doing the paper and was relieved, but also a little sad to be done with my exams. Nonetheless, headed home, grabbed my laptop and met up with Val for dinner at Chili's. Awesome food and great way to celebrate the completion of my final exam in college. The burger they served was simply delicious! Headed over to the Chem Engin building up north (for the first time ever in my life), and did random stuff on my comp while Val finished up with her research which she had to complete for her mentor / prof. Interesting place.
22 April 2008, Tuesday
Val's parents arrived around noon and I spent the most part of the day sorting out stuff back home, and also went for a run / nap in the Arb. The trees were starting to bud and it was getting really beautiful out. Later in the evening, went for my section's final bar crawl. Picked up my bar crawl shirt from Joey's place and went over to Mitch's to play quarters and start the drinking for the night. We moved from Mitch's to the Brown Jug, then Charley's and BTB Cantina. Called it a night after that and didn't head over to Buffalo Wild Wings with the rest of the section because Janine was pretty wasted; called Ming to pick us up to help send Janine home. Headed home and bummed around for a bit, before calling up buddy old pal Jianwei for drinks at Habana. Great times... Will definitely miss the place and the company.
23 April 2008, Wednesday
Picked up Val from her place in the morning and went grocery shopping for the Senior's BBQ that night. Probably one of my last trips to Kroger and China Merch to get the necessary stuff, before heading to her place to settle stuff for the Europe trip. Still have lots of stuff not done yet, so had to try to clear those up as soon as we could. Also, met her parents for the first time. Hopefully that first impression didn't go down too badly.
BBQ at Gallup Park in the evening with the seniors was a pretty good event. Considering that I didn't usually mix much with the rest of the batch, it was a good chance to hang out for a little and also to meet up with my good friends for a last time informally. Food was delicious (Val's potato salad was awesome!), and it was fun to run around in the nice (relatively warm) evening, playing Frisbee and tossing the football (ala college football style). I guess, things were a little awkward initially but was really glad it all worked out fine. A great closing chapter of sorts.
24 April 2008, Thursday
Val drove over in the morning to my place to meet up before we set off for the airport to pick up my parents, Wynne and Clara. Their arrival day was finally here and it was great to see my family again. Much thanks to Val for helping out and picking up my family; wouldn't have known how it would have been possible to fit all of them and their luggages into my (delightfully selfish) coupe. Dropped off a coupled of their luggages in my apartment, thankfully getting approval from my mom on the condition of my home. Went for late lunch at Sadako, having the awesome lunch bento sets and the Sadako roll for my parents and Clara. I brought them on a tour of Central Campus, bringing them to the business school (my second home and a source of infinite pride and joy), Law Quad, the Michigan Union, the grad library, UGLi, and other LSA buildings. The walk also made me reminiscent on all the days and nights which I had spent studying (or having fun) in these places on campus. Going to miss this place so so much.
At the dead-quiet Grad Library Reference Section
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In the evening, sent my parents over to Red Roof Inn and helped them to check into their rooms. Sent Clara and my mom over to the mall for them to shop and do their hair respectively. I dashed home to get changed and to pick up the other two luggages, before returning to the mall (and the hotel) to pick up everyone for dinner. First (and probably last) visit to Gandy Dancer, the famous high-end dining place in Ann Arbor, situated in an old train station, right along the railway tracks (which are still functioning to this day). Food was fabulous and the ambiance was amazing. Shared three entrees (fresh fish) between the five of us, and also had a really tasty appetizer, as well as fresh baked bread/pastry. What an awesome time.
Dad and I at Gandy Dancer
+(46).JPG)
Brought my family to Whole Foods to check out the famous organic food market (clearly a favorite place for my mom), before sending them back to the hotel. A pretty chilly night by their standards, though I thought it was decently warm. Haha, welcome to Ann Arbor.
25 April 2008, Friday
Had pretty interrupted sleep for the night and went to bed really late, woken up in the morning by a phone call from my dad telling me that they were ready to set off, having taken their complimentary breakfast at the hotel. I picked everyone up, and went over to Tim Hortons nearby to pick up a breakfast sandwich, donut and hot chocolate, before bringing my family over to the Arb. Due to the rain the night before, the Arb was kinda humid and not as nice to walk around in, but still, as dazzling and beautiful as ever. Walked them down from the Geddes entrance to the river and back out through Mary Markley (my freshman dorm). Had to run to park the car at home, and also to pick up my car to ferry them, at both the entrances and exits respectively. Not so fun.
Brought my family to the b-school, with the intention of going for the dean's reception but seeing how dressed up everyone was, we skipped that. Went over to the mall, where my mom grabbed a pair of heels from Aldo at the last minute, and Clara did a little more shopping. I dropped them off at the hotel, before heading home to get changed. Grabbed my graduation attire and hurriely rushed to pick up my family, before heading to Crisler for the business school commencement.
The time had finally arrived! It was awesome to sit in the (sweltering heat) of Crisler Arena, under the spot lights and putting up with great speeches by some, and marginal speeches by others, before the "walk-on-the-stage" graduation ceremony. When my name was called out and I crossed the stage to shake hands with the Dean (Bob Dolan), the university's regent, as well as with the BBA program director (Scott Moore, also my BIT 200 professor), it was probably one of the happiest moments in my parent's lives. I was also absolutely delighted to learn that Val came for the graduation ceremony.
Val came for the Business School Graduation! =)
+(69).JPG)
Post-Graduation from Business School picture with the dearest people in my life (Kendrew was enroute from the airport)
+(78).JPG)
Here, I want to say my sincere, heartfelt thanks to some of the most important people in my life. Thank you mom, thanks dad, and thanks to the rest of my family and friends for everything they have done to have made it all possible. For all the love ans support, physically, emotionally, financially and just being there whenever I needed them. Through the crazy rollercoaster ride which I had to go through in my 3 years here, they have stuck by me all the time. Thank you, so so much. Thanks to Val for coming to the graduation too amidst her busy schedule. Really appreciated it and it meant a great deal to me. Lastly and really importantly, I want to thank Pat. Dar, if not for your selflessness and blessings to let me come to Michigan, and to experience all of this while you were down, I would not have achieved and become what I am today. Your timeless and selfless love, will always, always have a special place in my heart. Thank you my dear angel...
When the ceremony finally concluded and I met up with my parents, my sis, Clara and Val, my overjoyed mom gave me a big hug. Could see the happiness radiate from her and my dad. I was really happy to be able to let them be so overjoyed for me.
We adjourned to Kai Garden on Main Street, where Kendrew also arrived from the airport and we had good (in my opinion) Chinese food for dinner. It was a great joy to finally be with my entire family once again. Sent my parents and Wynne back to the hotel for the night, and headed out to Habana for drinks with Clara, Kendrew and Clara's two other friends who arrived in the day: Huimin and Peiyu. Forgot to tell the girls to bring their passports for the trip, so only three of us ended up getting some drinks. Hung out for quite awhile there until past 1am before sending them back to Red Roof Inn.
26 April 2008, Saturday
Woke up bright and early to head over to pick up my family from Red Roof Inn. They overslept and I had to wait for them to get dressed and grab breakfast. Sheesh, considering that I slept really late the night before, and I still managed to get there on time. Haha, the business school has trained me well. It was a pretty gloomy Saturday morning and I parked the car back at home.
Walked over to the Diag with my family and seated them, before gathering with the other Singaporeans for the procession onto the Diag. Sat next to Val and Jianwei, and it was a really beautiful graduation. First time ever in the history of the university that anyone is graduating on the Diag. It was a really special and momentous occasion. The keynote speaker Bob Woodruff was awesome, so was the great speech by student speaker Andres M. Ramos (link to speech). When the time finally came to sing the Victors for a final time, it was a moving moment. I was finally an alumnus of one of the greatest institutions (in my opinion) of the world, the University of Michigan. We sang the Victors at the top of our voices for the final time as students, heading out into the world, bleeding maize and blue. As we sang the Victors, the sun came out from beneath the clouds, the entire Diag lit up, and we walked out of the place, warm and proud. Took lots of photos with my family, and went over to the b-school for more pictures.
One of the most important days in my time in Michigan. We've graduated!
+(80).JPG)
I brought my parents over to Za's (gasp!) for lunch, with me eating my usual creamy pesto pasta, while they ordered a variety of food. Glad to see them enjoying it. I sent my dad, sis and Wynne back to the hotel, while Ming brought my mom, Clara, Huimin and Peiyu to Birch Run for a shopping trip.
I rushed over down Washtenaw to pick up a bouquet of flowers and sped over to Crisler Arena, hoping that I wasn't too late. Sat through a (even more boring than b-school) commencement ceremony, but was still glad to be there for such an important day. And of course, seeing Val cross the stage and graduate was a great joy. Would have loved to spend more time there but duty to family calls, and I headed off.
Caught a half hour nap before going to pick up everyone for dinner at Seoul Garden. The food was alright I guess, not as fantastic as it used to be. Sent my parents back to the hotel to pack up their stuff after. Brought Huimin, Clara and Peiyu out to Cold Stone for ice-cream. Haven't had that in a long time, so it was decent. Cheesecake fantasy is good as always. Sent the girls home and headed over to Val's temporary apartment (Lynn's place at Willow Tree) to help move stuff up into her apartment from her car. We went over to Island Drive to pick up some other stuff which she wanted to ship back to Singapore and brought it all over to my place. Tired out, but happy happy times.
27 April 20008, Sunday
Sent my parents early in the morning to the airport, saying farewells for now until I return to Singapore. Kai Ming kindly helped send my parents to the airport, and the girls hopped into my car, setting off for Canada. It was a long and exhausting drive up to Niagara, stopping over only for lunch at a service center along the way. Was pretty glad when we finally arrived there and checked into Water's Edge Inn. Took the shuttle bus from the hotel over to the Casino, where we walked around the town for a bit. Walked down the hill to the falls and was once again, wowed by the grandeur of nature. Millions of cubic feet of water tumbling over the edges, timelessly carving their path through solid rock. Simply amazing.
The Majestic Niagara Falls
+(7).JPG)
Had dinner at Kelsey's, which served predominantly American fare. We went back to the falls when the sky had turned dark to see the falls being illuminated. It was a pretty magical sight to see the falls getting lit up with different colors, with the water cascading over the edges in the dark.
Night view of the falls
+(20).JPG)
Green lights!
+(24).JPG)
Took the 10:40pm bus back to the inn, showered and went to the lobby to use the net. Relocated to inside my car, where I could get both internet connection and T-mobile coverage (since US is just separated from where I was by the gorge). Talking to someone back in Ann Arbor was just awesome.
28 April 2008, Monday
Went over to Simon's Restaurant, which was near to the falls once again for breakfast. Never thought I would have had the chance to return for another visit again. Signed the guestbook at this more-than-century-old restaurant and took my breakfast, while staring in awe at the vast "treasures" which was present. What an awesome restaurant / museum.
Drove down Niagara Parkway to the Horseshoe Falls, where we went for the "Journey Under the Falls" attraction. Took a lift down and walked down a tunnel which led to two openings behind the falls. Seeing the water from above crashing down as a huge curtain in front of my very eyes was surreal. Spotting several pennies lying on the ground, I thought, why the heck not; I took out a nickel (I surprisingly ran out of 1 cent coins) and tossed it far out into the falls after making a silent wish. We also went out to the platform where we could view the gorge and falls close up, getting thoroughly drenched by the spray despite our ponchos.
At the platform looking out into the gorge
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Following which, we went for a tour at Jackson-Triggs vineyard, where we took a quick tour of the winery and also did some sampling of the red, white and ice wines. We had the opportunity to sample the most expensive (and best) ice wine they produced instead of the lowest-end one, courtesy of a very nice tour guide! It tasted simply heavenly.
Jackson-Triggs Winery
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In late afternoon, we drove into the city of Toronto and checked into our hostel: Global Village Backpackers. We had a quad room for ourselves on the top floor, which was pretty sweet since it looked out into the city and CN Tower. After dinner at a sports bar, we went up CN Tower to take some breathtaking pictures and also to watch the sunset.
A trip to Toronto is always incomplete without a shot of the CN Tower
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Sunset atop CN Tower
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Night view of the tower
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29 April 2008, Tuesday
Pancakes for breakfast in the hostel before we checked out and set off for Kensington Market. It was kinda a let down since it was just a couple of shops on a small street. We headed into Chinatown for a walk, before heading into 客满楼 (Forestview Chinese Restaurant) to have some authentic dim sum, served traditional-style with push-carts. Awesome and fulfilling lunch. Headed back to pick up the car and went over to Casa Loma, the most notable castle in Toronto, and stayed there for approximately 2 hours. It was a really elaborate and interesting place, with some pretty amazing architecture, and of course, complete with underground tunnels and "secret" passageways.
Beautiful Casa Loma
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One of the many magnificent rooms within the castle
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Following which, we went for our final stop at Pacific Mall, eating (once again, in my opinion), the best 豆花 in the world. Silky smooth tau huay was just pure bliss. Clara went to pick up some biscuits at a nearby supermarket before we went for dinner at 喜刷刷. Individual steamboat buffet, with awesome selection of food, resulted in 4 very stuffed people.
Best Tau Huay in the World!
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The place is seriously called 喜刷刷
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The drive back to Ann Arbor was a lot more bearable since everyone was pretty much awake and chatting or requesting for old boy-band songs on Clara's mp3 player. The night concluded when we got back to Ann Arbor, and the girls stayed in my room while I took the couch for the night. Of course, being back in the US / Ann Arbor was a real relief and I felt that I was "at home" once again. Actually missed being in Ann Arbor a ton, for the brief 3 days I was away.
30 April 2008, Wednesday
Early morning excursion to Kerrytown to check out the small market there, but since the fish store wasn't serving until 11am, we adjourned to Angelo's for a huge breakfast. After we got back to my apartment, the girls did some final packing before they were on their way to the airport and headed home for Singapore. I sorted out some of my stuff, packed a little, went for a run and caught up on my sleep for the most part of the day. It feels great to be back in Ann Arbor. Boy, am I going to miss this place...
Wilson
1 May 2008
1:15AM
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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