Re: Questions

Thanks for that very well-thought out e-mail. Yes I do consider you as a friend. Below are the answers to your questions.

1. My legal name is Ken Ming Wong. Yes it is a weird name, but if you compare it to the names of some of my friends here and back in Malaysia, it really isn't that strange after all.
2. Like you, I am from Malaysia, the land of bad drivers, and worse cars. Currently I am on a student exchange program sponsored by the American Field Service to the United States. I have been on this program since the middle of January and will be leaving come late June.
3. No I did not pay for this trip. AFS does provide several free programs similar to the one I'm on. Nevertheless, I do have to pay for things here, and because of the exchange rate, I do find myself overspending.
4. Well, the application process did stretch on for several months. It started when I approached my school's counsellor for information regarding any foreign exchange programs. I then filled out a form and sent it in. I then received an invitation to go for an interview, before which I had to fill out 3 more forms in triplicate and send it in. I was then informed that I had to go to another interview, but only having filled out more forms. At last, just before I sat for my SPM, I received word that I was to be one of the 38 people from Malaysia who will be going on this trip. Unfortunately, they would only let me go after I had filled out a few more pieces of paper and apply for my American visa. I swear, these people know more about me now then my parents do.
5. Of course it was worth it! Besides giving me the perfect pickup line for the month before I was due to leave, I have learnt much about life skills during my stay here. I now know that not all that is brown is coffee, not all that is green is healthy, and not all people are friendly. Life lessons that will only be beneficial in future.
6. Yes, I do have an English name, its Brandon. How did I choose this name, well that is a secret. He he.
7. Well, yes and no. school is different, and yet very similar. I still have to wake up at 6am to get to school and I usually reach home at around 4.30-5.00pm, but this is because of distance. School starts at 8am and ends, like most schools here, at 3pm. But there are 3 kind of days here. Mondays are called 'cram days', where we have all 8 classes we signed up for, Tuesdays and Thursdays are 'Odd days' and we would have 4 subjects, and Wednesdays and Fridays are 'Even days', containing 3 classes plus study-hall. It becomes easy to understand after a week or 2.
8. School is fun here. I have made many friends, I joined a few activities, for example choir. People are generally friendly to me, saying hi, as opposed to punching me in the face. Yes, I am quite happy.
9. The weather here has been terrible to me lately but things are warming up now. Snow is not as fun as you think. Its usually gray, its wet, and its cold. However, spring has been showing its face lately. I even went cycling yesterday. Stepped in goose shit. Will stay indoors from now on.
10. I suppose things are quite expensive here. Generally electronics are cheaper back home in Boleh-land, but I think there are more variety here. Except when it comes to hand phones and computers. nobody I met has heard of Lenovo or Acer, or Sony Ericsson K750. I caused quite a stir when I whipped out my phone after school to check for messages recently. Of course they won't tell you this, but I'm sure they were impressed.
11. The Nintendo DS far outsells the Sony PSP here. Most of my friends have the DS. I'm one of the few with a PSP.
12. Well, I don't see how this question is relevant, but yes I do type fast. Why? Do you see a few mistakes in my e-mails? In fact, typing this reply to you took me about 30 minutes, and I may use it as a post on my blog!

Ken.