23-01-2009

I want to talk now about someone here we call Klein.  Klein's real name is Bui Quang Khoi and resides in Vietnam.  He is Sam's student buddy as well as one other student's from RPI.  A student buddy is an NTU student assigned to an exchange student in order to help them learn the ropes of NTU and Singapore in general.  I haven't seen my student buddy since the second day I was here but Klein has been a great buddy to me and everyone else ever since I got here.  Klein hangs out with us a few times a week, gives us advice, and answers all our questions.  He stutters frequently and is a phenomenally nice guy.

This is Klein and me at the sushi restraunt on campus.  Pricey but pretty good.  The sushi comes around past all the tables on a conveyer belt and they charge you at the end based on the quantity and colors of your plates.

During the second week we were required to purchase our Student's Pass and I was having a hard time with the payment methods.  The Student Pass is the equivalent of a student visa and without it I would be illegal and unable to come and go from Singapore.  It only cost forty dollars but they would only except payment via Cash Card.  I discovered this on the only day we were given to purchase the pass. I went to the seven eleven to purchase the card for fifteen dollars, but actually putting money on the card requires a special machine which was broken.  They told us to go to the library where there was another such machine but it turned out to be broken as well.  Klein to the rescue.  Klein actually payed for four of our Student Passes with his card ultimately preventing our immediate demise. 

This past Saturday we went to Finale V, a show in celebration of the Vietnamese new year Tet. The show was loosely based on American Idol; there were ten contestants who each performed one piece and at the end the audience voted for their favorite "star".  Klein and his band were the third act and they performed Eric Clapton's "Change the World."  The band was awesome and everyone wa

s completely amazed at how Klein sang; he stutters when he talks b

ut he has an idol quality voice.  There were about one thousand in attendance and Klein won the popular vote by less than twenty.  The ten of us (who Klein got in for free) and the people we convinced sitting behind us felt mildy responsible for Klein's success.  Klein and his group A+:

Wednesday night ten of us went to the Raffles Hotel for the Hall XVI Chinese New Year dinner.  It cost fifteen dollars and we recieved an eloquent eight course chinese dinner.  There was entertainment and the dinner was followed by an orange eating contest which our table won.  We all had to wear red for the occasion.