I am finally getting started on my blog which I said I would keep with updates and pictures from Buffalo. I am however, terrible at blogging and can only hope I will keep this alive!
Time is passing so quick and it's already the 4th day since we arrived. The past few days have been filled with shopping and trying to settle in.
Sunday, 16th August 2009:Arrived at the airport at such unearthly hours and found my relatives waiting for me there which was a really sweet sight. Checked in and my luggages did not exceed the limit! Cell group/church peeps appeared shortly after.
The horrendous, crazily long flight turned out to be not so bad. Novomin is truly my savior! I slept almost all the time (practically concussed) all the way from HK to Chicago which is a really amazing feat for me considering I never ever sleep on flights, much less a 14hour flight. I also did not feel nauseous at all. I slept so well that I didn't even know when the flight attendants served instant noodles for snack and so I missed my instant noodles. Everything was all good until we arrived at Chicago. The flight was delayed multiple times from the original departure time of 4.47pm to 5.35pm to 6pm to 7.20pm to 8.20pm and finally brought forward to 8.14pm. We were sitting near the gate on the floor, all really tired, plus food at airports are horrendously expensive so it was quite a sad time. Finally the aircraft arrived and we boarded, reached Buffalo and checked in and got to the apartment. Wanted to rest but couldn't sleep so stayed up till morning and at 7.20am, we decided to go for a walk and locked ourselves out of our apartment building by forgetting to bring our access card. :/
Monday, 17th August 2009:Walked to The Commons to get our UB card made, collected Jesmund's rental car and went to Walmart to buy lots of things for the apartment! The apartment is furnished but terrible inadequate to live in. We had no lamps, no pillows, no comforter, no utensils etc. and so for the first night, my room was shrouded in darkness and I could only lie on my bed which only has a sheet on it (sheets that I brought!). Anyway, taxi is crazily expensive here. The meter jumps like anything and each jump is half a dollar USD. The starting price was $2.30 and even before we exited the Campus (and we were near the exit), the meter jumped a dollar or more already.
Met Raymond and his friends who just arrived for buffalo wings. The wings were really good! The shop is called Duffs and it's supposedly famous. We took the least spicy one and it was still wayyyyy spicy. I remember watching a documentary on Travel and Living about Buffalo's buffalo wings festival and saw the Blue Cheese sauce. It really exists! And i never thought I would say this but I liked the blue cheese sauce! It was nice. Didn't taste like blue cheese at all. I think they added a lot of stuff. The wings were full of vinegar and started to hurt the lips after a while.
Tuesday, 18th August 2009:Went back to Walmart to get more stuff. The amount spent settling in and buying things for the apartment is crazy. Finally got some fresh groceries from Wegmans so now there's food in the fridge! Cleaned fridge, moped the floors and washed the toilet bowl. Arranged the furniture. The apartment is finally starting to take form! I also finally finally unpacked my luggage, turned my bed around and tidied my room. Room is looking neater now.
Cooked our first meal today. However, at that time we didn't have any fresh groceries yet. So all we could have was Campbell Soup with potato and bacon bits with rice that we cook using the rice cooker. People told me that says sad and pathetic. Haha.
Wednesday, 19th August 2009:FASHION CITY! It's where all the outlet stores are and we spent the entire day there. So many brands and sales there and we practiced self restrain. The girls did better than the guys! Bought some things, restrained from a lot and am quite happy. I bought a GAP hoodie, ON slippers, ON top and a Rue21 blouse. Applebees for dinner and I am so sick of eating out and eating Western food.
Thursday, 20th August 2009:Went to Waldan Galleria Mall in the morning. This mall had all the American brands such as F21, Gap, Old Navy, Coach, Hugo Boss, Aeropostle, A&F, American Eagle, Wetseal, Delia's, Sears and many more. I only bought a pair of shorts from Wetseal. Oh, and a toaster from Best Buy and a book from Borders. Came back to the apartment and we decided to cook and have dinner together. The guys can cook! We had BBQ honey pork and fried chicken wings from Jesmund, Stir fry veggie and mushroom from Joel, Campbell Soup and rice (by FX, Terrie, Cassie and me). So basically all the dishes were provided by the guys. It was yummmmy. Played Bonanza after dinner (fun game!) and just got home.
Thunderstorm tonight and the wind was so strong that an umbrella was basically useless. The lightning was scary. It's forecasted to rain again tmr which will be bad for our plans.
Alright, what a long post. Pictures will be up soon, hopefully!
Lovely people who came down to send me off even though it was such an unearthly hour! Thank you so much (: 
Finally arriving on campus at a late late hour after a long long journey. All tired and just wanting to get to our apartments. 
The top 3 windows belong to my apartment! The big window is the window in the living room. The one next to it is my bedroom and the next is my housemate's room. 
The view at the back of our apartment! This is what our windows look out too. Our apartment is the last one of the entire row of apartments. 
Trying to get the entire lake and rows of apartments. The lake of South Lake Village! 
One of the many wildlife on the lake. The quackerjacks! Or what people normally call ducks. Managed to get this close up shot when I tried to feed them and got them to swim near me and then using telescopic zoom. 
The front entrances of the lakeside cottages. 
The other apartments of South Lake Village. I forgot what they are called. The Greens?
Center for the Arts!
Stretch to many of the different halls/buildings.
Shuttle stop near the apartment for the Red Line shuttle! One that I'll be taking to my classes when it becomes too cold to walk.
