Being a freeloader

HELLLO

This is going to be short, because i have had so little time to myself since orientation started on the 22nd of Feb. Everything's fine - better than fine - and God is being good to me.

Being the poor international student that i am (darkly ironic, since as an international student 'i' pay a crapload of money to study here) i have devised various lessthanhonourable ways to save money on food, transport and household bills. Using dirty dishwater to flush the toilets is one of my attempted methods of cutting back water bills, and walking everywhere/tram-ing illegally is one of the ways in which i save on transportation.

Saving on food has been tricky, but i have found the solution at long last.

Attending any function that promises free food.

Yes i have shamelessly done this over the past two weeks or so. Exploiting the generosity of event-organisers and the like.

Why just this evening i attended a gathering organised for all Singaporean students in melbourne (and i do mean all), held at the Park Hyatt Hotel. As a brazen little leech i seized the opportunity to score free dinner and a goodie bag when my new friend invited me along to this exclusive soiree. Although intended for members of the Singaporean Students Society in Melbourne Uni (which i declined to participate in, on account of it's resolutely (pseudo-)patriotic guise), the administrative persons were kind enough to excuse an interloper - a charity i later realised was not exceptional to my person, and therefore left me feeling disappointed and slightly hurt.

The attendance appalled me in its diminutiveness. I expected a larger group of people to be present, given the promise of FREEEEEE commodities and food.

In short. The night was lovely, and the company delightful. The goodie bags left us wanting, but the dinner was beautiful. Offerings such as oxtail stew, bee hoon, hainanese chicken rice and other asian gastronomies were laid before the hungry crowd. These dishes did not move me, but my cool demeanor was broken by the presence of a gorgeous gado-gado table, strewn with the freshest and most crisp vegetables, tofu and cubed potatoes, with peanut-curry and coconut milk sauce.

i am blessed by a Divinity, there is no other explanation that will suffice

zicheh. (my new pen name)