The last day of school was May 11 and I had to vacate my campus apartment the next day. Packing was no easy feat, although I had started earlier by shipping 3 boxes of clothes and books back to Singapore, so I was pretty much set. All I had to do was to pack 4 months of my life into 2 bags and ensure that I could carry it around the US till August. You get the picture.
So I moved into the little cottage that the Swedes call home for two nights before I was to leave Ithaca. The six of us (Naomi, Jennie, Canan, Can, Paola and I) had rented a car for those two days to visit places in Ithaca that we HAD to go to but couldn’t without a car. Thinking about it now, I think we were really happy to be done with school and to be exploring the local area to experience what Ithaca is known for, but at the same time, we knew that we had to say our goodbyes after those two days, and that was always going to be difficult.
And so the day started with a late brunch at State Street Diner with omelettes, sandwiches and milkshakes. We were finally going to see waterfalls and gorgeous Ithaca in spring.
After brunch, we drove to Buttermilk Falls. Many thanks to Can who became our guide, driving and also planning where to go and what there is to see. He and Paola have really made the last couple of months in Ithaca something to remember dearly.
Some Swedish Sunshine.
It’s hard to imagine how I spent four months in idyllic Ithaca where the pace of life is vastly different from Singapore. Sure, it is a college town – Cornell and Ithaca College – but life in Ithaca is slow and peaceful. Public transportation on Sundays end at 5pm, the downtown area has just about four streets of life and we spend most of our time holed up in our apartments during the biting winter spell anyway. How I could have come to enjoy my time in a place like Ithaca surprises me. Do I dare say that I miss Ithaca now? I’m not sure I could answer that question until I am back in Singapore, but this experience has definitely taught me to appreciate Singapore more and not take things for granted. I would say though, that Ithaca has also taught me to appreciate a slower pace of life and also show more concern for the environment.
Robert H. Treman State Park
Jennie carves our names, leaving our legacy behind in Ithaca.
Me at Taughannock Falls
Cayuga Lake sunset.
After experiencing the state parks and waterfalls, one really starts to feel in awe of nature and though I’m not much of a outdoor person, I could feel myself enjoying the fresh air and natural beauty. Makes one start to think seriously about how it was all created by God’s hand of perfection and how humans are destroying the environment. When I think about how different things would have been if I had done my exchange studies in a bustling city instead, I am glad to say that I have no regrets choosing Ithaca. Although Jönköping (Sweden) would have been really awesome too.
Marina by Farmer’s Market.
We came to Farmer’s Market, which is famous in Ithaca for serving fresh food. There were stalls selling many diverse kinds of food, including Cuban and Cambodian food, sold by people who settled here in Ithaca. There was also vendors selling locally-produced fruits, vegetables and wine.
Another thing I appreciate about the US is their culture of embracing fresh produce and also the trend towards organic food, but it is simply healthier to consume compared to preservatives, and harmful chemicals.
Canan in front of the impressive Ithaca Falls.
Stewart Park by Cayuga Lake
After two days of exploring local Ithaca, it was time to finally bid farewell to Can and Paola because they were driving to Pennsylvania to find accommodation for Paola who will be doing her grad studies there next semester. It wasn’t easy and I’m not someone who is comfortable with goodbyes, so it was a quiet one with hugs and promises to meet again soon.
There began Jennie and Canan’s mad rush to pack and vacate their house. We also had to be ready in time for the bus to New York, so there were tons to do. It is already more than a month ago but that night still remains vivid in my mind. Emptying the fridge and cabinets of excess food and leaving it behind in Can’s apartment, stuffing four months into two bags, last minute laundry, sitting on the luggage so that we could zip it, trying hard not to fall asleep so we wouldn’t miss our bus, shouting at taxi operators who couldn’t understand simple instructions…. It’s the little things that stay in your mind.
We arrived in New York City soon enough and attempted to get to our hostel for the night. It was just to be Canan and I because Jennie’s mom and sister were flying in to meet her and Naomi was going to stay at her friend’s. After struggling very hard with our bags, we arrived at the hostel drenched in summer perspiration. It was the last straw for me and I immediately repacked my bag and sent another box via airmail back home because there was no way I could continue carrying those bags.
We were all tired out from packing and cleaning the house the night before as well as less-than-ideal rest on the bus from Ithaca. After a nice Italian pasta dinner, Canan and I called it a night, while Naomi went to meet her friend, and Jennie went to receive her mom and sis. Jennie came by shortly while I was sleeping to bid adieu and I was too tired and groggy from sleep to really say a proper farewell. It was really nice of her though to specially come by with her mom and sis, while making me promise to visit Sweden really soon. And I shall, hopefully in a couple of years’ time maybe.
Naomi came by too and she started crying so much. I was speechless and I really didn’t know what to say or do, but we hugged and knew that though we spent four short months as fellow exchange mates in a foreign country, those four months would mean so much to us. Naomi is a girl who has a little piece of her heart for everyone. It was definitely the toughest goodbye I’ve ever said.
Next morning, I got up earlier than I wanted to, in preparation for my flight from JFK to Miami. Canan was still sleeping and after I got dressed and ready to leave, I woke her and said I had to go. Canan is a strong girl, though I wouldn’t have been surprised if she burst into tears too. We exchanged a quick hug, and I was on my way.
May 15. New York to Miami to meet Yeh Yang, Angela, Xinpei, Tanny and Laura.
On my way to Central Park for the Singapore Day event, I walked along Fifth Ave, which is home to the biggest fashion brands in the world. (think Orchard Paragon, almost the same stores and many others, but twice as big). I didn’t go to Oxford Street when I was in London, but Fifth Ave is more impressive than Champs Elysées (to me, at least). New York City is made up of five boroughs – Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island. I’ve only been to Manhattan, and Brooklyn on the subway, but I can tell you Manhattan is the most diverse place you can ever be in. All kinds of people, from the very richest to the homeless, different languages at every street corner. “New York is truly amazing” – there’s no other way I can describe being here.
Approaching the Wollman Rink where the event was held, a live band’s music was ringing through the Park and it was the first time in a long time that I saw many fellow Singaporeans at a single place, queuing up to get into the area. It was a mix of emotions I guess – amusing to be hearing Singlish in Central Park thousands of miles away from home. The moment I walked through the registration area, I was handed a goodie bag and a few steps later, I looked up and right in front of me was Joshua – an ex-Central Band NSF whom I had met when I was still in the army. He was a percussionist and had moved on to playing the guitar professionally. It was quite a surprise meeting him there, once again because you never know who you might run into thousands of miles from home. Last time I met him was late last year at Little Shop of Horrors at Victoria Theatre (he was playing in the band). Small world indeed. I also met a senior from NJC Band who plays the trumpet. She didn’t remember me until I reminded her I was the oboist, Wanru’s junior – which is a good thing because I forgot her name.
I found Rishi queuing up at the sambal seafood queue, where the cook was whipping up barbecued sambal stingray, sotong and prawns. To my surprise, Jane was there queuing with him and I had no idea she was going to be there! By the way, Jane is also from NTU and is an exchange student at the University of Maryland. We were in the same group for the orientation camp, so it was a very nice surprise indeed. We queued for the sambal seafood for two whole hours before we actually got any food.
The uncle hard at work cooking fried hokkien mee. We also queued up for chicken rice, but before we reached the front, they ran out of chicken, so we had to settle for rice and dark soy sauce. Well, four months without hawker food – we would have been satisfied with chicken rice without the chicken. While queuing up for the various food, it was so interesting to observe other Singaporeans gathered here in NY to remember local food and meet up with fellow countrymen. Some people I observed can be categorized and they are definitely worth remembering: American-born/raised people with Singaporean roots/parentage; Singaporean people with Caucasian boyfriends/girlfriends, Singaporeans studying or working abroad. Each specimen had traits that amused me so much. But one thing connected them – they were all trying in their own ways to find the Singaporean in them (to varying degrees of success, but who am I to judge anyway.)
Of course they rolled out their most prized possession – Kit Chan. She looked ridiculous in her green suit. But then again, after watching Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress last year, I am still very much impressed by her so she has earned my respect. Definitely Singapore’s best export in the entertainment industry.
I decided to grab my camera and snap photos because I knew this was the last of the snow I would see in Ithaca and spring or summer (whichever you prefer it to be) was coming and here to stay. It is beyond description to be waking up in the morning to see everywhere bathed in pure whiteness. Overnight snow does tend to totally transform the landscape. Wait for a while to see my photos of Ithaca in spring and you will understand how different the same places can look in different seasons.
After coffee with the Swedish and Japanese folks, I walked to the bus station to receive Rowie. Being about ten minutes early, I did some window shopping at Greenstar Co-op, an organic supermarket beside the bus station. She arrived at around half past nine, and after completing some purchases at the supermarket, I peeked out and saw the bus had arrived. From about ten metres away, I called out “Ah Nah” as she is fondly known to her loved ones. Yes, we have some endearing nicknames for people we love. 
After the tour around the college, we decided to take a walk down to the Commons before heading to one of the waterfalls in Ithaca. To be honest, I haven’t been to one at all in my three months here because it was too cold to go out and waterfalls are what Ithaca is famous for. The biggest headache is inaccessibility because without a car, getting to any of them can be quite hard. We walked around the Commons for a bit, stopping for coffee at Starbucks, and taking photos of little sights at the Commons. I mentioned before that Ithaca is a quaint little arty-farty town and even after three months here, I’m not sure I know much about this place. Having Rowie around made me realize that even more because I didn’t know where to bring her, how to explain what we saw and I felt like a visitor as much as she did.
We headed to Ithaca Falls via bus. It was just about ten minutes away from the Commons. Being in Ithaca, you are never too far from nature. Ithaca Falls was definitely not the best waterfall to see, nothing too grand about it compared to other more renowned ones in the area. But it was the closest, and most accessible to us. The falls sprayed mist at us and it being winter, it got chilly after a little while. I can’t wait to go back there now and compare how it looks like because the trees should be covered with a little more leaves and the colors will add so much life to the scenery. Winter does make one feel dreary because of the lack of colors.
Rowie snapped our shadows cast by the setting sun as I sat down on a bench to decide where to go next. It had been a short day and we didn’t really do much and I felt like Rowie hadn’t seen much of Ithaca. But neither have I. What have I been doing these three months??
We headed back to the Commons and decided not to go to the lake because it was just too inconvenient. We settled for a sports grill and bar instead. Typically American place where people come to watch football or baseball or basketball on giant screens. Right now, I’m just thinking about the fact that I have two more weeks left in Ithaca and how little of this place I have seen. Makes me feel incredibly underachieved. It’s like I have been here and yet this place still seems so foreign to me. There really is more to this place than I know, which is paradoxical because it is such a small town with so little to offer, yet with so much yet to discover. Saying goodbye is not going to be sad, just difficult that I haven’t grasped the essence of what this town has to offer in my time here. Mixed feelings.
We caught the bus down to the Commons and had smoothies at the Mate Factor, a quaint dairy place owned by members from Twelve Tribes. (I told you Ithaca is filled with quirky people.) We each had a smoothie and from there, we made our way to the bus station, a ten minute walk away.
To cook mee goreng, I used the Prima Taste mix I bought from Liverpool. I couldn’t find the yellow color egg noodle so I used spaghetti to substitute. I think maybe spaghetti has more moisture so because of that, the taste wasn’t strong enough. But my friends found it really spicy despite that. I didn’t find it spicy at all, especially when I don’t eat spicy food. And I found it rather bland, but they said it was all right. They were being nice. There were potato cubes, diced tomatoes and onions and egg.
