"Midway."

I have a whole lot of catching up to do since my last post three months ago. It has been ages since I've let my expressiveness come forth and my brain hasn't been utilised for the longest time to chain long, coherent phrases together smoothly so this might take some time to write.

Let's wind back the clocks to right after my last post in May. The remainder of the two papers I sat for went chaotic one after another. Those final exams were the worst I've ever sat for in my academic life and I doubt it's because they were too difficult. Honestly, it was in that exam season that applying for a Masters distracted me and threw me off-focus. That coupled with all the lack of motivation and willpower to press on cemented my horrible grades. I'd have you know that my final average grades plummeted about a 10% total mark from my previous two years.

Nevertheless, I'm thankful, grateful and relieved that regardless of that horrible deterioration, I've managed to pull through to make my loved ones proud - and I guess that's all that matters. Those three years of undergraduate life I'm finally done with. Here's a shoutout to all those I've met that helped me through this very arduous journey. Thank you for sticking by me and helping me through with them hard times - you know who you are. 

I'm also extremely thankful all those Masters application worrying has been justified with an offer to one school I've never thought I would have gotten in - let alone applied for. Yes, London will be my home again for at least another full calendar year ahead and I'm excited to be back again, though I'm fully anticipating the year ahead to be extremely tough considering the new environment, people, fundamentals I have to absorb and the job applications that will hit me like a continuous stream of trucks. It will be a year I'll continue to lose whatever remaining hair I have whilst I struggle to catch up with slumber where necessary. It is also the year where I properly enter adulthood and that's something to look forward to later this year (and probably when I'll post my next post).

This summer has been an absolute mental frenzy where I kind of immersed myself in a chronic seemingly budget-free travel spree. I visited about seven new countries this summer and I've conveniently put up them vacation photos in a new "Photos" page. Go have a look because I spent a good amount of time uploading stuff there. I would give a detailed summary of my excursions to these places but I'm too tired at this point to, so hit me up if you need any recommendations. These places I went were mostly beautiful, otherwise filled with so much good food your diet plans will go haphazard. A word of advice is to get some sunblock if you intend to travel in the summer. I'm (still) a victim of sunburn and my skin tone has darkened pretty obviously since term ended in May and I'm not proud of the tan.

I finally concluded my vacation spree with a transit flight (my first ever long-haul one) with Qatar back home. The last day I spent in London was a tad bit exciting. I was up the whole night socialising online in-game. Midday saw me shifting my belongings that have been carefully packed into boxes from my room down one floor to the apartment corridor (yes, I'm vacating the place and moving west). That all happened while the temperature outside was hanging in the high 20's and yes, with the manual labour of that calibre comes with streams of perspiration attached. That all culminated with dragging my 30 kg luggage down four flights of stairs and I finally got to the nearest tube station only to find out that the entire line to the airport was disrupted with some massive delays. I think I took twice the amount of time it would have normally taken to reach the airport about two or three hours later. I finally got my luggage deposited at the airport when I arrived, though the weight on my shoulders was still there. I finally got to settle at the Qatar lounge at the airport to have some chill time and some good, proper, classy food.  

I also got to take a very nice long, hot shower in the lounge just before my flight took off. I must say my experience with Qatar has been really enjoyable and comfortable and actually better when compared to with Singapore Airlines where my loyalty was at for a good number of years. 

It has only been three weeks since I've been back for my summer holidays and this is the first summer (excluding the last where I had work) I've been pretty productive in terms of not staying at home and rotting for the entire day, though I kind of need that right now but I'm pretty lined up with things to do over the next week until I have to fly back again to begin probably the most adventurous yet and hopefully, happiest and best year of my life. Here's to an amazing latter half of 2017.

​Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more on Darren's life journey. Leave some comments on the right if you want to.
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(Shoutout to the anon guy: thanks!)