A big hello to everyone! I'm back home and it feels great! :D

I'm now sitting comfortably in the house, and got my cat from Pets' Station a few hours ago. He looked really traumatized from being caged up for 20 days, but is now back to normal and yowling his head off, which is fine with me :) But if he continues this for too long, I'll have to give him a smack on the tush. :P

Well, what can I say? It was a heavenly holiday, and I've got the sunburnt face to show for it! It was cold, but one of our guides told us the ozone layer above New Zealand has patchy defects in it, and I never use sunscreen on my face, so I have no idea how much UV radiation I've absorbed so far. The distribution's a little strange too -- it was pretty cold, so I was wrapped up in jackets and sweaters, but my face was exposed, so that's the only part that's brown at the moment!
The weather can be rather harsh, especially in the glacier region, which was where I first noticed my face had turned lobster red, after an hour of hiking to the glacier's terminal face ( it was awesome, but more on that in later posts ).

Unfortunately, I've always been a poor air traveller, and suffered on the plane to and from New Zealand. It didn't help that I was placed in close proximity to crying or hyperactive children on both trips, so I didn't sleep a wink for the whole 10 hours. Then nausea would kick in, so I ended up not eating either. Then there were bits with air turbulence, ugh.

But enough about the bad. Like I said, I loved this holiday, and NZ is truly a magnificent country! Full of awe-inspiring beauty that reminds you every single day of God's hand on Earth. I kept a journal during the trip, so I'll try to transcribe the entries from time to time. I haven't gotten myself a digital camera yet, and can't post pictures on this blog, so I'll provide links to pics from the Internet ( they're probably nicer anyway :)).

So, here're a couple of lists for you:

Favourite tours:

1) Wellington Rover Lord Of The Rings Tour
2) Dart River Jet Safaris / LOTR Tour in Glenorchy, near Queenstown
3) Glow Worm Grotto / Waitomo Caves in Waitomo ( between Rotorua and Auckland )
4) Fox Glacier trek
5) the Agrodome in Rotorua

Favourite place:

Winning by a huge margin -- Queenstown


New Zealander traits:

1) very friendly
2) very hospitable
3) very helpful
4) extremely proud of their country's heritage and natural resources
5) extremely proud of Peter Jackson and his astounding film achievement with LOTR


Things you should eat in NZ:

1) beef!
2) Tip Top ice-cream, of which a single scoop equals a double by Singapore standards, and which comes in a giant cone, and too many flavours to count! My favs include Apricot Supreme and Triple Chocolate, yum!


Things I enjoyed doing most while I was there ( not counting my favourite tours ):

1) eating their giant steaks, haha!
2) eating their ice-creams ( not kidding! )
3) feeding and playing with a group of frisky lambs on a farm
4) feeding wild ducks and geese at the boat jetty along Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown ( they just come up and daintily pick the bread from your fingers! )
5) trying all the different Chinese restaurants in each town we stopped at ( we became experts at hunting these places down, I must say :P )


People we met who really made huge impressions:

1) Dan, our guide for the Wellington Rover LOTR Tour -- witty and fun, he is a veritable walking encyclopedia on information regarding the films, as well as everything New Zealand. He spent a whole day with just 6 of us ( that's considered a fully booked tour on most occasions -- there were 20 a day round the time of the world premiere on Dec 1st ), but made it extremely interesting with his many anecdotes and enthusiasm. We all loved his warm and dynamic personality, and I hope some of you will get to meet him should you join the tour in the future. :D

2) Jason, from Kea West Tours in Greymouth / Twin Glaciers -- most guides have to be well-informed and hospitable, but Jason took very good care of us, and warmed up to us with time ( we got him for 2 consecutive days -- the first for Punakaiki / Pancake Rocks and the second for the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers ). We really enjoyed both trips, and I especially loved the detour to Lake Matheson, which is a very secluded little place that is so quiet you'll feel all the tension in your body seeping away into the still waters. Wonderful. :)

3) Stuart and Donna Hamilton from the Coast-to-Coast Tour in Auckland -- this lovely couple runs a sheep farm, and invited us to their home for lunch and a visit. Donna's a fantastic cook ( the merengue with whipped cream is to die for! ), and Stuart is a very sweet fellow. We got to feed their lambs, play around with their menagerie of sheepdogs, parrots, bunny and guinea-pigs, and spent a great afternoon just chatting and sharing experiences. They're very warm and hardworking people, and we just adore them. :D


Whoa, it's getting a little late! I have to take a nap before my night shift -- yes, I'm doing a call the day after I just returned to Singapore, sob! -- so I'll leave you with this superb letter from Clay Aiken, written to the Charlotte Observer after he recently graduated from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. He is wise beyond his years, and never fails to teach us something valuable about life and ourselves. Congratulations, Clay!


"Some opportunities present themselves just once, and no doubt, I've been blessed to experience several beyond my wildest dreams this year. High on that list -- with "American Idol," the "American Music Awards" and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, among others -- is an event every bit as exciting and memorable: my college commencement at UNC Charlotte.

Yesterday, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Special Education. I donned the robe and mortarboard, sat with fellow students, and took in the sights and sounds of a transformed Halton Arena. People were brimming with anticipation, pride and joy.

I "walked" in line to receive my diploma. I shook hands with the chancellor and the College of Education dean. I turned my tassel upon the conferring of degrees, cheering loudly upon joining the ranks of the 49er alumni.

And I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

While I truly regret any inconvenience my attendance may have caused, I am grateful to have had the chance to come back to UNC Charlotte to celebrate this milestone. A triumph four years in the making, this was a "magical moment" that I wanted to capture -- for myself and those whose support made it possible.

In what could be the understatement of the year, my life has changed dramatically since that first American Idol try-out. It's surreal, actually, thinking about the whirlwind of events that have unfolded. The interviews. The awards. The invitations. Even the rumors, which, unfortunately, come with the territory.

I was warned, "It's the price of fame." Yet fame and glory are fleeting, especially in the music business. That's why completing my degree and graduating from college were priorities. How long this ride will last is anyone's guess, but the fact remains that if it all ended tomorrow, I'd still have Plan A to fall back on -- and that's not a typo. My first dream was to work with children with disabilities.

Reaching that goal began with my education at UNC Charlotte. I am indebted to the faculty and administrators of the College of Education for their support and guidance in the special education program, including my special study on service needs for children with autism.

However, college also opened doors beyond the classroom that provided a glimpse of life in the "real-world." For example, the Bubel family not only welcomed me into their lives, but entrusted me to help care for their most precious gift -- their son, Mike, who has autism. He continues to be my inspiration and motivation to help children with disabilities.

If my career detour from special education to singing has done one thing, it has afforded me the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. In founding the Bubel-Aiken Foundation, we hope to be able to help families receive much-needed support with the care and education of their special needs children.

What's more, the friendships I made with special ed majors and other UNC Charlotte students are as valuable as the knowledge gained from my studies. In time, good memories will only grow stronger -- and those few hours at commencement with friends have already become precious. For a short while, I was who I was before fate intervened: Clay Aiken, Class of 2003, caught up in the moment of graduating.

Thomas Wolfe said you can't go home again, and now I understand. In 12 months, my life has changed forever. I've learned a lot outside the classroom -- about myself, business, friendships and especially, the value of time. I missed out on some opportunities due to schedule conflicts -- and while those windows may open again, second chances aren't guaranteed.

I did not want my college commencement to fall into that category. I worked hard to earn my degree, and so, too, did a lot of others who invested their time, talent and concern to help me reach my goals.

Still, for all of the changes that come with being in the public eye, there is one that I embrace because I am a teacher at heart. I can lead by example and encourage others to pursue their educational goals. I hope that my participation in UNC Charlotte's commencement sends a clear signal that far outlasts whatever fame my future holds: there is nothing more important than obtaining an education.

Hmmm I wonder if there's a song in there."


More another day then. It's good to be home! :)