Things I'm not ready to leave behind (including the NTU duck rice)
As she steps into her final semester this August, HEY! student writer Eliz Wang reflects on the quiet comforts that have made NTU feel like home, from a beloved plate of duck rice to a sun-dappled bench beneath the trees
by Eliz Wang
Illustration: Eliz Wang
Every time I think about graduating, I’m haunted by the idea that I may never again get to eat duck rice from NTU’s South Spine food court at 3pm on a random Tuesday.
Yes, I know Yew Kee outlets exist across the island. But there’s just something about this stall – something about having it here, on campus, after a long lecture or before a quiz you haven’t prepared for. Food tastes better when it’s part of your routine.
It’s not just about the crispy duck skin or the perfect gravy-to-rice ratio (although, let’s be honest, that’s a huge part of it). It’s also about the joy of bumping into a friend in the queue and spontaneously deciding to sit and chat for two hours, because you can.
Because you have the time. Because university, for all its stresses, gives you little pockets of freedom. NTU makes even the simplest things feel special. And that’s something no island-wide franchise can replicate.
And speaking of core memories, enter the cats.
Whether I’m heading to class, grabbing lunch or taking a study break, a cat will somehow always be there to brighten my day.
Sometimes one lounges by the South Spine; other times, another mischievously prowls around my hall.
I’ll miss those moments when a simple cat sighting could turn a bad day into a good one. (Shoutout to the NTU Cat Management Network for looking after our furry friends!)
Lush, caution
And if the cats were my emotional support animals, then this next spot was basically my unofficial therapist’s couch.
There’s a bench at Basement 1 of the College of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences building. Most people walk past it without a second thought, but I loved it because no one ever came to claim it.
Some afternoons, I’d lie down on that wooden bench, which is always half-shaded by trees and always just warm enough to lull me into a nap. I’d drift off for 20 minutes between lectures, and while it might sound silly, those nobody-needs-me- right-now naps were some of the most grounding moments of my early uni life.
Because honestly, if adulthood doesn’t come with duck rice, nap benches and emotionally unavailable cats, I’m not quite sure I’m ready to graduate.
HEY! STUDENT WRITER
When she’s not obsessing over the footnotes of her history thesis, Eliz is either biking at East Coast, watching Akira or contemplating a second plate of duck rice.
This story was published in the Jul-Aug 2025 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
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