Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween and enjoyed the extra hour of sleeping because of day lights savings time. I know I did! I always enjoy my sleep so an extra hour was great. Halloween weekend was great! On Thursday the 29th the Health Administration Society delivered the pumpkins and it was so successful thanks to everyone's help. I really want to thank the help of the Graduate Health Administration students for taking time out of their night to come help us out. It really does show that the graduate and undergraduate program are dedicated and want to help each other out whether it be with different club events (the graduate students are apart of ACHE - American College of Healthcare Executives and the undergraduates the Health Administration Society). In a record breaking time we delivered all 135 pumpkins in 30 minutes. I remember it taking a couple hours but 30 minutes was just crazy! Thank you for all that helped out and this fundraiser would not have been a success without it!
Then it was Halloween weekend. It was such a fun Halloween as me and roommates dressed up as the Seasons (I was summer) and also we did a Boxing Theme another night. I also got to see other people dressed up as well and let me just say that there are were many creative costumes. A lot of people were Jon & Kate Plus 8 (which was so cute may I add) and also my other roommate was Gonzo the Muppet which was also really awesome. My house was also decorated very Halloween-ish thanks to my roommate who loves Halloween. He really knows how to create a Halloween theme house and he made it so creepy it was scary and awesome at the same time. I have to say that this Halloween has been the best out of all of the 4 here at the University. It was fun & I am sad to say it is my last Halloween in college.
Now November is here and that means it is a month and a half away from winter break! I can't believe it at all because around this time last year I was getting all my paper work finished for Study Abroad and preparing all my necessary documents and arrangements for my semester in Singapore. I can't believe how fast time flies and it makes me remember the amazing times abroad! Now that I am working in the Study Abroad office this year I am going to help the students who are going abroad next semester with any questions they have and also prepare them for what is yet to come while they are abroad. If I could, I would so go with them, but its my senior year so I do not want to miss out on it! It's crazy how fast time flies when you are in college. All I can say to the freshman and sophomores in college is to make the best of it because when junior and senior year comes it just flies right before your eyes. Now its time for job hunting or going to graduate school and I don't know what to do. I am waiting for my acceptance/non acceptance letter for the graduate school here and that will help me determine what I am going to do once I graduate.
I hope you all have a great week! I highly suggest that you come to the 2nd Open House on campus this Sunday (I will be standing on my podium in DeNaples talking about the University!) I was suppose to go to Penn State to watch the Ohio State game but all the tickets were sold out! So I am going to the Indiana game the week after! Stay warm it is getting cold out now. Take care!
- Pattie Vongsoasup
Hello everyone! So, this blog is my 20th blog ever since I started! Exciting right? Hopefully I can make this blog interesting to read, but the past week has been fun and was very very busy because of Mid Terms and homework assignments. Other than that, I had the Safe Trick or Treat on Sunday and also Judo again this week as well.
On Sunday the Safe Trick or Treat occurred in the DeNaples Ball Room and that was so much fun! Clubs at the University can volunteer to have a table with games and activities for the local Scranton kids that they can play and before they come and play games they go trick or treating in the dorms. Last year our table had games that were a little bit too easy for the kids (they told us themselves) and to improve from last year we decided to go a different way and do some fun games. We decided to do a Candy Corn Toss and also Pumpkin Bowling. It was very successful because the kids loved it (of all ages) and some kids even came back more than once. We made a poster for our booth and also decorated our table to make it more festive for the occasion. I was very happy with all the help that we got from the club members because this week a lot of people had Mid Terms and assignments due. In the next week we have our Pumpkin Fundraiser delivery and so far we have 120 pumpkin orders! That is more than double than what we had last year and we still have one more week until we go pick up the pumpkins! I am so excited that we have raised this much money so far and I hope we can reach a goal of 150 pumpkins! One problem, how are we going to pick up 150 pumpkins?! Haha, me and the officers have been trying to figure this out but we are going to talk to our adviser to see if what we can do because 150 pumpkins is a lot and my car definitely won't fit all of those!
Besides the Pumpkin Fundraiser, I've been training twice a week in Judo to get ready for my promotional in November. I need to learn a few more throws and I need to compete and earn 3 points to get my green belt but hopefully I can do that. I don't have much confidence in myself with competing because I feel like I am not ready enough but Sensei thinks I am ready for it. I will just have to gain some confidence and try as hard as I can. I really like Judo and I hope to improve in it in the next few weeks so I can get my next belt. I never thought I could, but we will see in promotional!
The weather AGAIN keeps changing!! This week it is a lot warmer and it is driving me crazy with all the change! Either stay warm or stay cold or somewhere in the middle. I rather somewhere in the middle where its not too warm or too cold but I am sure most people would prefer the warm weather. Have a good week everyone!
Take Care!
- Pattie Vongsoasup
Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't written a blog in a couple weeks. Since break last week, I have lost track of time and my dates are off! Last week, I left for fall break on Thursday and I had a lot of papers due before I left as well. What I didn't realize was that fall break also marks the half way point through the semester so I am halfway done to one more semester of my college career! How crazy is that? I always say "how crazy is that?" but I can't help it. It honestly does feel like I just entered college 3 years ago, and now I am going to graduate. I also found out graduation is May 30th!
Besides thinking about graduating in May, I had a great Fall Break! I got to spend time with my parents and my sister because I haven't seen them since I have been at school. My parents are leaving to go back to Thailand and Singapore for vacation and since I won't see them while I am at school, it was good to spend time with them. Also,I got to do some shopping, see some of my friends from high school and also people from work. It was good to catch up with friends from home because we don't get to see each other very often since we all go to different Universities and Colleges. The next break is actually Thanksgiving so I hope to see everyone when I go back! I may go back home a couple times, but I do plan on visiting Rutgers and Penn State this semester to see my friends! So excited! This month is going to be so hectic, so lets hope I can handle it!
The Health Administration Society Pumpkin Fundraiser is going so well! We have been receiving so many letters that I was so shocked to see how much we got. So far we have about 70 letters and there are still 2 more weeks before we start delivering the pumpkins to the freshman! I am so excited that we are doing so well and this fundraiser will definitely benefit for club events and our trips to different health care facilities! Thank you so much for all the support for the club and all of the officers and members who are making the fundraiser so successful.
The weather this week has been so crazy! Cold rain and the Weather Channel said that Scranton has a winter advisory and that it will snow from Thursday - Saturday. Oh crazy weather please don't make us sick and more cold! It is way too early don't you think? Stay warm everyone have a good weekend!
Take Care!
- Pattie Vongsoasup
It is October 1st everyone! That means fall is officially here and so are pumpkins! This week the weather has been changing from warm to cold, so that means I have to bring out my warm UGG boots, scarfs, and north face jacket! For all the freshman, I hope you know that it will get colder than this in the next few weeks so bundle up! October is one of my favorite months of the year because my dad's birthday is this month, the pumpkin fundraiser, the leaves start to fall and change color, and of course Halloween! Well, I am not the biggest Halloween fan, but I love to decorate pumpkins and make jack-o-laterns. One of my housemates LOVES Halloween. He is such a fanatic that he's actually going to Universal Studios for a weekend to go through all the haunted houses and everything. Those type of things I'm not so fond of. Not really a haunted house type of girl, but hey we plan on going on a haunted hay ride so I don't know what to expect, nor do I really want to know what I am going to get myself into! I'm sure it will be fun, but knowing me I will probably get scared.
This month is going to be really crazy because of all the activities I am going to do and also exams and midterms! I didn't really have any exams yet, but next week I have a quiz, 2 papers and a case study due. Hmm.. seems like now all the work is piling up but I'm used to it and that's what you learn in college is time management. On top of those, I have to prepare the Pumpkin Fundraiser for the Health Administration Society because I am the President and I have to make sure everything is organized. The other officers in the club are awesome and we work so well together. Today we finally sent out the letters to the families of the freshman class so I am hoping we will have a successful fundraiser and raise some money for our trips next semester! Also, I am planning a candy cane fundraiser for the Christmas time so we can have more funds in our account.
Besides all the class work and everything, I am doing a lot of fun activities on the side. I was able to audition to sing the National Anthem at some of the Home Games for the Varsity Sports and they liked me to enough that I can sing at the games! This Saturday at the Boy's Soccer game against Susquehanna will be the first game I sing the National Anthem at! Come and watch me sing! Haha, you don't have to but hey it would be cool right? Otherwise I am training for Judo and working in Study Abroad and as Tour Guide for Admissions. For all of the students interested in The University of Scranton sign up for tours! I give them out on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday in the afternoon!
Bundle up and I will have some pics up in my next post! Have a good week everyone!
Take care!
- Pattie Vongsoasup
As I am writing this blog, I notice that today is September 23rd. It is practically a month since school started! I can't believe it because it only feels like a couple weeks since we started. Soon it is almost October and then it will be November, soon enough May will come along and I will graduate. Time flies when you are in college!
My week has been going well so far. Last week I started Judo again! One of the many new things I picked up since freshman year. I recommend anyone interested trying a new sport or something new in general to try it. I didn't know what Judo was freshman year and I decided to take it as a gym class. Ever since, I have gone every semester since spring of freshman year to Judo because it was something that was so much fun! I didn't think I would get too serious about it, but I did get my yellow belt and I am thinking about going for my green belt (if I have the time to train!). Even in Singapore I learned some great Judo moves from very good Judo athletes. I miss the Judo club over there because they were really good athletes and they were more than open to letting me train with them! If you are interested in trying a new sport I totally recommend it. For the past 3 years I did Women's Crew & Judo! Two sports that weren't really popular as I grew up, but when I came here to the University of Scranton I got exposed to it, I tried it, and I LOVED it! Unfortunately, since my schedule is so hectic this semester I am unable to do Crew as I need to concentrate on my academics. I miss rowing!
Otherwise, being back is wonderful! I am working also at the Study Abroad office and I have met some of the International Students who are here which is so great! I love meeting new people and its always great to learn about other cultures as well! Well I am off to my International Business class (funny I'm talking about international right?). Have a good weekend everyone!
Take Care!
- Pattie Vongsoasup
Hello everyone!! We are finally back at the University of Scranton, going into our 4th week at school! How crazy is that? I am finally settling back in my house and the environment, since I was abroad last semester. Now that things are finally starting to settle down, I can finally start to talk about whats been going on since I've been back to the United States!
This summer went by so quickly, I couldn't believe it! I worked a lot of jobs this summer because I wanted to make up for all of the money I spent abroad. I was asked to come back to my internship at Quest Diagnostics for a second summer and it was a great experience. I met so many great people, made so many friends, and worked on a volunteer project that focused on fund raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The interns challenged the full-time employees to a softball match and the Quest Diagnostics softball team decided to have a game day to play against the interns and also use it as a community service event to raise money. It was so awesome because we raised just about $3000 and so many employees came out to support and have fun. Many of the Vice Presidents (VPs) and upper management employees who came out to enjoy the barbecue and also watch the interns beat the employees! Unfortunately, that didn't happen because it turns out that we lost 11-4. Yikes, looks like we the interns need to step up their game for next year, but to say the least it was a lot of fun and very successful. The employees said it was probably one of the best things they ever had because they got to interact with the interns and get to have some fun! Below is a picture of the team, not everyone is in the picture, but I sure miss these guys! We became pretty close during the summer and I know we will stay in touch!
Besides work, I also got to spend time with my family, hang out down the shore with my house mates and also see some of my friends that I met in Singapore! One weekend we had a big Singapore reunion in New York City and our friends from Norway, Finland, England, Canada, Connecticut, Boston, North Carolina, Virginia, and New Jersey met up to do site seeing and spend the weekend together. It was so great to see all of my friends that I met abroad again because we all missed Singapore so much. A lot of my friends that I met abroad that are from the United States are from around NJ, NY, and CT so it is easy to meet up with people as well! It was a great reunion in the middle of the summer and it was so weird at the same time that we were all hanging out in a different country! Like I said in previous blog entries, if you are considering going abroad, do it because you meet so many incredible people from around the world that you will be friends with forever. I still stay in touch with my international friends and I would never trade this experience for any other.
Otherwise, I had a great summer and now I am back for my senior year! My last and final year...it seems like only yesterday that I was a freshman at the University of Scranton. I am very glad to be back on campus seeing familiar faces and friends and meeting new people at the same time! The semester is going well so far and its going by so quickly as well! I have a new responsibilities which include being the President of the Health Administration Society! I have so many things planned for that, I will tell you more about once we start doing our fundraisers and everything.
It is getting pretty cold pretty early this time of year, usually it doesn't start til beginning of October. Stay warm everyone and I hope everyone is having a good start to their semester!
Take Care!
-Pattie Vongsoasup
Hello everyone!!! I am very sorry for not blogging in awhile. I have been very busy with midterms, finals are coming up, and I went on a small vacation before finals began. I have so much to update you on its crazy! And I also have pictures too which is always exciting too! So much to talk about, where should I begin?
About 3 weeks ago I went to Batam, Indonesia to wakeboard for the first time. It was so much fun! However, I didn't get very far since I could barely stand for 2 seconds. It was really funny watching my friends bust too, but it was a good laugh. After wakeboarding for the day I could barely move the next day, especially my arms haha. Everyone told me that wakeboarding was just like snowboarding, well THEY WERE WRONG! haha. Being a snowboarder for 7 years, wakeboarding is definitely different, but I recommend it if you ever get the chance.
Next was Thai Songkran aka Thai New Year. That was great because I got to perform for my class for NUS Thai Songkran Day. I sang a few Thai classical and pop songs and dance on stage. Afterwords we had amazing Thai food (which I miss so much!) and a water fight. Thai Songkran always ends with a water fight as it is a tradition where you splash water on each other.
My short vacation before finals week I went to Macau and Hong Kong with my boyfriend Phil. We went for 5 days and it was so much fun! For the first 2 days we stayed in Macau to do some sight seeing and to gamble. If you don't know about Macau, they have the world's highest bungee jump which is 233 meters or about 1,200 ft = 61 stories! So, if you don't know me, I am very very very scared of heights but looking at the bungee jump I couldn't resist. I felt that I had to do something crazy while I am out here in Asia, and why not the world's highest bungee? I did it and it was such an amazing feeling. Its not like you are going down a rollercoaster, it feels like you flying! If your ever in Macau DO THE BUNGEE!! Me and Phil played some blackjack and slots, of course I lost, but he won a bit which was nice. We went to the Venetian which was absolutely gorgeous!
After Macau, we went to stay in Hong Kong for 3 days because we heard a lot of great sight seeing places to go to. One of which was Hong Kong Disney Land!!!! I am such a kid, I just had to go to Disney Land. It wasn't as big as the one in Florida, but that doesn't matter because it made me feel like a big kid again. We also went to see the Big Buddha statue in Ngong Ping which was so beautiful. The Buddha was really big and we also got to see a temple which was very nice. Also during our stay we went shopping in the area, which is always a plus for me and I did some bargaining and got some pretty cool stuff!
After the 3 days we went back to Macau to fly back to Singapore. Since our flight wasn't til very late we explored the Venetian again and we went on the gondola ride which was indoors. It was so romantic and so much fun it made me giggle. Then we headed back to Singapore since we had finals coming up.
Again I apologize for not writing for a month. Its been very hectic and I am getting ready for my last final (I already had 2!) and coming back to the United States. Its crazy how fast this experience went and I wish it could last longer. I made some amazing friends and met so many people from different parts of the world. If you are considering studying abroad, DO IT! Consider Singapore, its in a great location and traveling is cheap and easy. You really get a wonderful cultural experience.
Stay safe and good luck on finals! For you high school seniors hope you chose The University of Scranton. I am looking forward to coming back for my final year!
- Pattie Vongsoasup
Hey everyone!! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, its been a very crazy few weeks since I have been trying to adjust back to my daily routine since Scott's passing (post before this one). Not to worry though I am doing well and still having a great time here! You know what is really crazy? My experience here is almost over as I am coming back so soon! Weird right? I felt like I just got here and I hate to say it but I am not ready to leave just yet!
In the past couple of weeks I have been really busy because now it is past mid-terms (I didn't have any! yay!!) and now tons of assignments are due and things are getting a bit more hectic. 2 weekends ago I went back to Thailand for my cousins wedding! It was absolutely beautiful and I had an amazing 4 day weekend again with my family. I got to see my grandma again which is always the best but I was so sad when I had to go back to Singapore. I actually plan on going back AGAIN to Thailand after my final on May 5th for a week with my friend Cathy to explore more of Bangkok and also go down south to Phuket! Sounds exciting eh?
Also in the next month or so I plan on going on a few trips for Good Friday as well as Reading Week (aka Scranton's Dead Week) except I think it is for 2 weeks rather than one. So me and Cathy were thinking about heading to Perth, Australia on the weekend of Good Friday for 5 days if not possibly going to Malaysia for some sky-diving! For Reading Week I may go to Hong Kong and Macau to do some site seeing with my friend Phil from Manchester, UK since we haven't been yet (and he is a 2nd semester exchange student!) so it should be fun. If not I am thinking Vietnam and/or Cambodia. It is still all up in the air as I am still trying to plan how much time I have! Time flies so much when you are having fun and studying!
I hope everyone is having a good time this semester. For you seniors in high school considering U of S as a choice of school, PICK IT! If not at least come by one more time to campus to help make a final decision haha! I miss Scranton and I can't wait to come back, but in reality I am going to be coming back for my final year and it makes me so sad because I felt like I just graduated high school and was on my way to Scranton for my freshman year.
Spring is coming yes!!! Below are a few pictures from the wedding!
Take care!
- Pattie Vongsoasup
This week's post is going to be dedicated to someone who was very close to me, so I apologize in advance that this post is sad. On March 4th, 2009 (Wednesday), my best friend here at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Scott Jared Monat, passed away early in the morning at the hospital. Scott was my best friend here in Singapore and knowing that he passed away was one of the most heartbreaking things I ever had to experience. I never lost someone so close to me before and hearing that Scott passed away felt like someone was shredding my heart into pieces.
Scott Jared Monat was a sophmore at the University of Miami studying Neurobiology/Pre-Medicine and Spanish. He is a National Merit Scholar recipient and received the Isaac Bashevis Singer scholarship, the highest scholarship awarded at the UMiami. Scott was such a bright kid and had plans of going to Medical School (he actually wanted to go to Stanford) to become a Neurologist and help people in Asia. He was so smart and had so much going for him in his future.
Losing someone so close to you is one of the most painful experiences I ever had to go through. There was not a time in the day where I wouldn't see Scott, hang out with him, grab lunch and/or dinner, and study Thai with him. We were always together and sometimes I wondered if we were brother and sister (since I treated him as if he was my little brother). Ever since he passed, it has been such a hard adjustment for me because we always called each other regardless and always saw each other as well. Knowing that I won't get to talk to him or ever see him again is so heartbreaking. Scott was always there for me, helping through any problems I was going through, and always believed in me. He was always happy and loved being in Asia. Trying new things and foods was one of his favorite things to do and that's what he always did (every time in dinner there is always something new that he tried).
The hardest thing now is actually saying goodbye to Scott. Yesterday I met up with his cousin and packed up Scott's belongings for his family. Packing up Scott's room the other day for his family was so difficult because it was my goodbye to him. Knowing that I won't be hanging out in his room anymore and being in his room without him there was so hard to handle. Being in his room and saying goodbye for the last time was so hard, but I know that Scott is now in peace and safe from harms way. I am going to miss hanging out with him, singing to him, playing with his hair, and talking to him about everything. Scott, we had some amazing memories and I am going to miss waking you up by yelling through your window to come out. We had amazing memories that I will never forget. There will never be a day that goes by that I won't think about you or miss you. Right now, I just wish you were here to tell me that everything will be alright. I know that it will eventually, but right now there is still some pain.
This post is also for his family and close friends back in Georgia and at the UMiami. I know this has been the hardest for you, being that Scott was here in Singapore. Scott was so happy to be here in Singapore and there was never a time that he didn't mention home, family, and friends. Scott loved you all. His smile and warm presence always lit up everyone's day and he will be truly missed. Stay strong, I know Scott would want everyone to be.
Thank you everyone for being there for his family for support and also I personally want to thank his friends and my friends here at NUS, the University of Scranton, and my friends back home for helping me through this difficult time.
Scott, you will always be my Scotty Baby (little brother) and I will miss you so much. I love you and always will. RIP Scott Jared Monat
- Pattie Vongsoasup
Sawatdii Kha!!! That means hello in Thai (for female!). I hope everyone is doing well! I am back from a great 6 day trip to Thailand seeing my family! It was def. too short, but I will be going back to Thailand for 4 days in 3 weeks for my cousin's wedding! I am so excited! So this post is great because I have pictures from Thailand to show you guys! Don't laugh at the pictures too much haha. I had such a wonderful trip and here is what I did:
I arrived in Bangkok on Friday night and my uncle and aunt who lives near the airport picked me up. I ate dinner at my uncle's house and saw my cousin for a little bit. Unfortunately she had to study for her final exam. I actually went to Thailand at a really bad time because this is when their semester is ending and she had a huge engineering final exam so she couldn't talk too long. Next day I went to see my grandma and the rest of my family on my father's side. It was so great to see my grandma again. As always, she loves to feed me food so that's what she did. She always says, your young! Eat! Oh I do love my grandmother so much. I also got to see some of my other cousins and that was absolutely wonderful!
The next day I left to go to Chiang Mai (which is up north) to see my mother's family for 3 days. That was also a lot of fun because I got to see everyone! Chiang Mai is actually one of my favorite places to go so I was really happy to go even if it was only for 3 days. One thing that I don't like about Chiang Mai are the mosquitos. I get bitten all the time so it was a bit annoying, but nothing too worrisome. I got to hang out with my cousin P'Thuy (Sounds like Pee Thu oey haha) and her friend and I got to drive an ATV and Buggie in the woods in Chiang Mai. It was so much fun! After 3 days of Chiang Mai, I went back to Bangkok to spend one last day with my father's family.
So the last day before I left, I went to MBK (Mah Boon Khrong) shopping center which is one of the best shopping places to go! I bought so much stuff from there it is great. It is like one big China town except indoors. I had a blast because I love to shop and I got a ton of stuff and I am so surprised I did not go over the weight limit for my baggage =D. Later that night I left to come back to Singapore. I had to come back early because I had a hospital visit today at the Institute Mental Hospital here in Singapore for my class. It was a really cool visit and great experience!
As I promised I have some pictures below! Enjoy! =) Leave a few comments! Take Care!
- Pattie Vongsoasup
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