I love metaphors

This world is filthy.
Try as I may,
I''ll never get it cleaned...

It's time for me to grow up.

Garfield Christmas

A Garfield Christmas special I watched when I was really young. Somehow it did not leave my memory, and I can vaguely remember some scenes. Came across it on youtube.

Take some time to watch it!

Avalon - Adonai

One single drop of rain
Your salty tear became blue ocean
One tiny grain of sand turning in your hand
A world in motion
You're out beyond the furthest Morning Star
Close enough to hold me in Your arms

One timid faithful knock
Resounds upon the Rock of Ages
One trembling heart and soul
Becomes a servant bold and courageous
You call across the mountains and the seas
I answer from the deepest part of me

Chorus:
Adonai, I lift up my heart and I cry
My Adonai
You are the Maker of each moment
Father of my hope and freedom
Oh, my Adonai


From age to age you reign in Majesty
And today You're making miracles in me

Raining Love

Currently enjoying the rain outside my window. Wind isn't too strong, but it's cooling. Love the sound of the rain pattering. I love rainy nights, and sometimes I just don't want to sleep on a rainy night cuz it's the perfect time to be awake and alone, taking time to think about life (or any other random stuff). Rainy mornings are nice too, when there's no cause for me to wake up early :)

11:30a.m today marked the end of yet another semester. This semester has been mentally draining, albeit interesting. I've enjoyed the books I read (excluding SEA stuff), and have thought a lot about (the problems of) life.

December holiday beckons, but there's registration and planning of modules to bother me. Shall leave that aside for now. Probably just gonna watch Top Gun and Love, Actually over and over again. I remember watching the latter about 4 times last December, which helped in bringing in the Christmas mood. Not sure if it will work out this time.

I love skippy although he can be very silly and mischievous :) he's just the cutest thing around now :)

National Anthem

I've always wondered what I am singing when I sing the national anthem. I only understand two words. Oh well, I never really felt patriotic when I sing the national anthem though. Whoopsie daisy~

I like the national anthems of certain countries. 'The Star-Spangled Banner' has a very beautiful tune, and it has been sung by many stars before sports competitions. Even though I'm not an American, I think I'd feel very patriotic if I were to stand in front of the America flag (Not that I wanna be an American).

I like the French and German national anthems. They've got a very majestic tune. I realised that many European national anthems sound similar though. Just heard Spain's and Italy's, and the thing they have in common is the majestic aura.

I'm rather amused by the Russian national anthem though. It was rewritten after 1991 when the USSR collapsed, removing Lenin's and Stalin's name! Marks the end of communism or socialism?

I haven't got the time to check out the other national anthems, but one thing I'm sure, European countries mainly have beautiful tunes. Most of the anthems consists of geography, history, and of course, unity. Rriiight.. back to the books!


Deutschland, Deutschland über alles, über alles in der Welt!

And the light bulb goes...

Ha ha, at least I know the answer.


Bye, you fool,
größter Dummkopf in der Welt

kit kat

Decided to take five from my reading.

The courses for this semester are interesting, yet the scale of difficulty is overwhelming. I realised for this semester that even if I put in more effort than before, it's futile.

I had put in a lot of effort for my essays, yet the results were disappointing. When I thought I had done well in my mid-terms, there were others who were far better than me. In the end, it makes no difference because I'm still at the lower end of the ladder. I've learnt my lesson. Never expect too much from yourself when you're not good enough for it.

It can be rather humiliating at times too.

Why? I admit it was honeymoon for me throughout first year. I didn't put in much effort, I left books unread, and I just skipped classes as and when I felt like it, and indeed I reaped what I sowed. My grades were disgusting, hence I decided to be more diligent this semester.

But it seems like it's still not good enough even when I put in my heart into it. In fact, it became worse.


I can kiss my dreams and aspiration goodbye if this continues. Yes, that dream and that dream. They'll go away. Just like that. POOF!. Then bye. and cry. and regret. and remorse. and reproach. and then dream again, and the cycle starts all over, and Mufasa's favourite line, the circle of life. No, cancel life. Find another word to replace it.

The world is cruel. Did I grow up according to plan?

Milan Kundera is right.. or rather, Nietzche. "In the world of eternal return the weight of unbearable responsibility lies heavy on every move we make". (das schwerste Gewicht) I'm definitely glad we only live on this earth once. Imagine every second and aspect of your life recurs an infinite number of times, and everything remains. You can't change anything, unlike in Magical Realism. Question is, will you be conscious of the recurrance? -shrugs-


This is getting too far, and it is making no sense. I have taken more than 5 minutes. I wanna learn German!



Tshüss erstmal!

Baby Blues

click on it if it's too small!

Memories

I did not forget,
But I just chose not to remember.

But what I should have forgotten,
I chose to remember.

Alright

Ok, I've thought it over.
This blog was closed for a couple of days but it is opened again.
The personal posts shall now be posted to the private blog.

Sometimes, I feel that blogging is tiring, and I wonder how some people can update about their lives every single day. It has come to a point where I think that a blog is nothing more than a mere facade, outwardly showing what the heart does not really want to reveal. (read: just generalising)

A few people have noticed the lock-up, but I guess it's up to them to come back and find out if it has been re-opened!

Errr..

I'm in HSS library now, trying to finish up my part for the Linguistics essay, and can't help feeling disgusted cuz the guy in front of me can't stop "digging for gold".

yucks....

Hmm....

Some kinda sauce which my mom bought...

Saw this somewhere in town.. quite ironic, isn't it?

An irony in light of an embarassing moment

It's so ironic... HL 311 essay is the easiest and shortest of all essays (only 750 words!), yet the deadline is wayyy later than the other 2 lit modules which are harder and more mind-boggling. Anyways, I nearly gave Jen a heart attack when I told her that 311 was due on 16th(tmr) when it's actually due on 30th!! It sure was embarassing..

It was not too long ago that I realised my linguistic essay on 'kiasu' is due next Wednesday, so must start brainstorming. It's a group work nonetheless, so the burden is shared, though I don't particularly like group work, especially when it's an essay.. I mean, how can three people come up with one essay? Nevermind.. Thank God for good group members. :)

Alright, dreamland beckons. Adieu world!

:)

No Monday blues today:)
Saw kailing (again) at JE mrt platform and went to school together. Made a last minute decision to have lunch together since we ended our lecture around the same time!
So anyway, Kailing had lunch with kira and hanning as well. All was good:)

Thank God for a sis and friend like you Kling! I'm glad you're always able to understand what I mean even when I don't put them properly in words. Really glad that we were able to talk about some issues. Didn't know that u felt the same way about certain things as well. Hope to cya around in sch soon! :)

I fear...

I fear for the worst, for you, because I know I'm not able to outsmart you intellectually and linguistically. My part is not done yet, but when it is, I hope I won't be giving sinister remarks with a sneer on my face.

Because..


because....


because......


simply because i know.

Softball!

I finally overcame my laziness and went for my very first softball training in school today! Feels SO good wearing my glove, catching/tossing/throwing balls, and batting after more than 2 years! My throwing skills have become rather rusty, but my batting surprisingly has slightly improved! Guess I've finally learnt to eye the ball :) My bunting is still quite bad though, cuz I still can't seem to hold the bat in the proper bunting position. But still, I'm really, really very happy that I can finally play softball again! We even had a friendly game before training ended, and thankfully I still remembered how the game runs. Caught a pop fly at the pitcher's position! :) Watching the recent Olympic softball match has really rekindled the softball-crave in my blood haha. Nonetheless, my legs and tighs are aching now.

The training is not as tiring as my JC's one though. This is very relaxed, more free-and-easy, and the coach is not as fierce as my previous one. As of now, I still prefer my previous coach cos he was really inspiring. Of course, it's still early to say cos it's only my first training today!

Was initially quite worried that I wouldn't be able to fit in, but apparently, the other teammates are really friendly and warm.

It was also quite strange and hilarious, cuz I couldn't help but think about the baseball accidents I saw on Sports Science, so was feeling a little scared when I had to catch fast throws.

Can't wait for next Sat!

New "toys" !

Dad and Mom bought new "toys" today! A new microwave and a proper oven! Yay! Finally a proper oven to bake :)

Postmodernism?

I wrote a whole chunk about authenticity, originality, hypocrisy, postmodernism, blablabla, but I figured it may just offend certain people, so I'd better just shut up in this world of so called free speech.

I'll just end a lovely song and a question.

Don't go changing, to try and please me,
You never let me down before,
Don't imagine, you're too familiar,
And I don't see you anymore.

I would not leave you, in times of trouble,
We never could have come this far,
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times,
I'll take you just the way you are.

Don't go trying, some new fashion,
Don't change the colour of your hair,
You always have my, unspoken passion,
Although I might not seem to care.

I don't want clever, conversation,
I never want to work that hard,
I just want someone, that I can talk to,
I want you just the way you are.

I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew,
What will it take till you believe in me,
The way that I believe in you?

I said I love you, and that's forever,
And this I promise from the heart,
I couldn't love you, any better,
I love you just the way you are.

I don't want clever, conversation,
I never want to work that hard,
I just want someone, that I can talk to,
I want you just the way you are.


Who is the real McCoy?

Among the Multitudes

AMONG THE MULTITUDES
By Wislawa Szymborska
Translated by Clare Cavanagh and Stanislaw Baranczak.

I am who I am.
A coincidence no less unthinkable
than any other.

I could have different
ancestors, after all.
I could have fluttered
from another nest
or crawled bescaled
from another tree.

Nature's wardrobe
holds a fair
supply of costumes:
Spider, seagull, fieldmouse.
each fits perfectly right off
and is dutifully worn
into shreds.

I didn't get a choice either,
but I can't complain.
I could have been someone
much less separate.
someone from an anthill, shoal, or buzzing swarm,
an inch of landscape ruffled by the wind.

Someone much less fortunate,
bred for my fur
or Christmas dinner,
something swimming under a square of glass.

A tree rooted to the ground
as the fire draws near.

A grass blade trampled by a stampede
of incomprehensible events.

A shady type whose darkness
dazzled some.

What if I'd prompted only fear,
Loathing,
or pity?

If I'd been born
in the wrong tribe
with all roads closed before me?

Fate has been kind
to me thus far.

I might never have been given
the memory of happy moments

My yen for comparison
might have been taken away.

I might have been myself minus amazement,
that is,
someone completely different.

http://www.jeanettewinterson.com/pages/content/index.asp?PageID=317

Where is the love?

Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love, the love, the love?

What's the world becoming? The Chinese adding melamine to milk, causing most parts of the world to recall their goods. Don't they think before they act? And then it's the Pakistan Marriott suicide bomb. I just read on Yahoo News that the litter bugs in Singapore is rising. People are throwing things like baby diapers, cigarette butts, plasters and guess what... sanitary pads! How disgusting and abhorring. Urgh..


Caught Mamma Mia! just now. It was not a very nice show. Cheesey plot, bad vocals, and they made it worse by making Colin Firth a gay! OF ALL PEOPLE, WHY COLIN FIRTH??

Ahh..never mind.

On a brighter note, I'm done with 1 essay!
2 more essays and 2 presentations to go!

Hehe

Answers without revealing the questions =D

1. Esther
2. My family
3. As of now, Jeanette Winterson (but only for a day), so I can know what she's thinking when she wrote 'Written on the Body'.
4. Lydia
5. Weitse (but in a good way haha)
6. Serene kira kira
7. Kasster maybe
8. Kailing hehe
9. It's a secret
10. Kailing
11. No one
12. Catherine Zeta Jones
13. None whatsoever
14. Girly >> Rachel
15. Josh Holloway? On second thought, I think I'd rather stick to what I am now
16.
17. Nick (don't worry nick, i'm not referring to it mentally)
18. Prince >> Skippy
19. JonC
20. Jeremy F
21. Muuahahahaha
22. I hope I'll never meet such a person
23. My parents
24. Chew Wei? hahaha
25. Stella (Disclaimer: Seemingly, but not exactly true.
26. Haha, it's unlikely of me to do so.
27. My parents
28. Simon (heehee)
29. Same as answer 9. Unless I'm attached to this person, I'll never reveal who he is :p
30. You guys rock.


If you want the questions, you must answer them after I give them to you. If you don't have a blog to put them down, you must email me your answers cos I'm very kaypoh.. hahaha!

Vanity

You're so vain, I really can't imagine what will happen if your beauty is taken away one day.

-sigh-

Sorry for the long hiatus from the blogging world (well, not exactly cos there is another platform of output). Seriously, sometimes there's really nothing much to blog about, and it's time like these that you really question the existence of a blog. How much of it is a facade, a "staged performance", and how much of it is from the heart? -shrugs-

(Disclaimer: Fictional names are used in the next paragraph in order to protect the identity of the school and teachers)
Went back to my alma mater on Thursday with Rek to visit some teachers and asked the teachers about the latest gossips, the screwed-up principal Mr. Mao ZD and the stupid and silly things everyone does on Teachers' Day. (For my year, we did something stupid that upset a particular religion). According to Miss SEA, she has finally agreed with us that Mdm. European is dilapidated. Indeed, when we spoke to her, she inevitably gave us the familiar creeps. Putting her aside, it was an honour to speak to Mr. Silas Marner, and as usual, he had a cup of Lipton tea on his desk, and is ever so respectable when he speaks. Mr. Utopia is still as charming (especially his voice), but doesn't seem as boring as before. Maybe it's due to the fact that he finally has a wife? It is a pity Mr. Batman wasn't there. He still has his favourite Batman figurine on his desk, and according to Mr. Utopia, he isn't as monstrous as he was before because he has finally found THE ONE. Too bad Mr. Nice-Chinese-Teacher wasn't around too, cos he's probably the best Chinese teacher I've ever had, and I really felt ashamed when I nearly flunked my Chinese AO. Ohh.. Mr. Mao ZD has intentions of closing down the Arts Fac again! (#$%^#%) WHAT'S HIS PROBLEM? He should focus on how the Science Fac should excel and shine before touching the Arts Fac. It's not as if the Science Fac has reached perfection. Urgh.. Mr. Utopia has called for support for next year's Drama Fest (cos we were the champions for Drama Fest 2005! -or was it 2006??-) If Drama Fest goes well next year, we might have a chance to revive the Arts Fac :)

It's not that I like my alma mater, but I just wanna help my teachers there.
They have even commented that so far, our batch is better than the recent batches they have taught! :D Makes the visitation worthy after all.

I've come to realise that after the A Levels, I haven't really sat down to mug. Ever since I entered NTU, it's just endless reading. There ain't much technicalities nor much details to memorise. After all, most of the essays (for exams) are based on how we write our essay. All we got to remember is the issues discussed in the texts we've read. What's there to memorise for Literature? I remember mugging for History and Economics was quite fun, yet torturous. There was so much to memorise for History and Economics. I survived, nonetheless.

Since last semester, all the modules I've taken were Lit modules, so studying for the exams was just pure reading. This semester however, I've to cope with Linguistics and Forensic Science. (SCIENCE!) No, I don't hate Science. In fact, I think Biology is very interesting. I'm just not inclined to Science cos I can never understand how certain things work even if you explain it to me several times. Linguistics is very interesting, and I am intending to minor in it. However, I find it quite hard to understand certain terms cos I'm simply not a technical person. Which is why I am forcing myself to sit down and read my textbook, i.e, mug.

It was a difficult attempt. In the afternoon, I read just 3 pages and my eyes were going to close. Just now, I read 2 paragraphs, and the computer seemed like a better option (which is why I am blogging now).

Sigh.. why is mugging so hard?

Must work hard to get into the exchange program next year!



yeah right, stacey.

School

School started three days ago, and I'm already feeling quite tired from lectures and traveling to school.

And tutorials haven't even started this week...

Nonetheless, I've been allocated very interesting modules this semester (except maybe for SEA Lit and Culture). Went for my first linguistics and forensic science lecture today, and the content of the courses have really engaged me from the start of the lecture to the end. Hope this continues for the rest of the semester!

CAC FOC Committee 08 has finally wrapped up, and yes, I do feel a tinge of sadness moving on. The committee was great. Very tempted to join AFTH Committee next year, but I shall not join just because of peer pressure. Considering GL for next year's FOC though. Ah well, all gotta depend on my schedule. Giving tuition takes up a lot of my time.

Tired tired tired, but drinking milo and typing this now is really therapeutic :)

Loving the unlovable

I was walking home from tuition yesterday, when I saw a little handicapped kid on the wheelchair with her mother, waiting for the cab. Then a thought came to my mind. I cannot comprehend the love that parents have towards their children who are disabled, handicapped, sick, or crudely put, abnormal. In my opinion, the most noble parents around are the above-mentioned parents, who so willingly, lovingly, and painstakingly take care of their abnormal children, even if it takes a lifetime. I came across an article a few days ago, where statistics show that majority of the parents, when their baby has been born, the first question they ask the gynecologist is "Is my baby normal?". It's amazing that most parents still accept the hard truth that their kid is abnormal. Of course, I'm sure the first few moments of reality won't be a pleasant one.

I then thought about the love that God has for us, sinners. Despite the sin Adam and Eve committed, and despite being chased out of the garden of Eden, God "made coats of skins, and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21).

A lot of people ask, if God really hated sin, why did He even allow it in the first place? Why didn't He stop and damn the serpent the moment he tempted Eve? I had these questions in mind, but managed to clear them and get an assuring answer from a friend. Ultimately, God is out there to show His glory, to show that Man, in his weak nature, needs the all powerful God. Yes, some people may think that God is selfish and self-centered because ultimately, He wants all the glory to be given to Him. But if God wasn't self-centered, then He wouldn't be God. Nonetheless, who can really point out the reason why God allowed sin into this world? No one.

Isaiah 55:7-9 "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD,
and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God,
for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts."

An observation my friend made was this: David sinned against God when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed Uriah. Yet, Solomon, son of Bathsheba, was the wisest King on earth, and was even the chosen lineage as to which Jesus was born. A triumph over sin, maybe?

God did not stop sin from coming into the world. Yet, He will ultimately put a stop to sin, overcoming all evil, and succeed as our Victor, thereby showing again His ultimate glory, strength, power, and majesty.

A Wonderful Day at Tangkak

I guess I made the right decision when I agreed to follow Simon to Tangkak to eat durians from Alicia's grandmother's orchard! It was a short but enjoyable trip there with Simon, Jm, Nick, and Alicia. Although it drizzled when we were at the orchard, it did not stop us from eating the delicious durians! Learnt a few types of durians, and kunyit (the durians with yellow flesh) is definitely my favourite. Nick totally missed out on the wonderful durians, but that's because he doesn't like them in the first place. Haha..

Apparently, there weren't just durians.. Alicia's grandmother grows rambutans too! I don't really eat rambutans though, but the ones that I tried weren't too bad. Alicia's grandmother may be old, but don't underestimate her! She can open durians like a professional, and she doesn't even need gloves. Thank God for her hospitality :)

Tangkak's beef noodles was SUPERB. I love the soup, and the beef wasn't too tough. We did not go to Muar for otah though, despite hearing good reviews about Muar's otah. We intended to have dinner at the seafood restaurant Simon recommended at Kukup, but we're a tad too late :( Had dinner at another restaurant though, but the food was good enough for me. I especially liked the deer meat and mai pian xia (cereal prawn).

Thank God for the sweet fellowship with the friends who went up. Thank God for journey mercies throughout the journey. God was good to us by keeping us safe, even when Simon was driving close to 160km/hr!





Pictures of durians can be seen in Simon's blog!

URGHHHH

I seriously feel like pulling my hair off now... Feeling super frustrated and irritated at the moment..

16 more days.... 16 more days and it will be over.

Run run run

Stella and I had intentions of signing up for the Standard Chartered 10 clicks run which will be held in December. It's kinda weird though. Standard Chartered stated in her website that registration opens in July. It's already 8 days since July started yet they have not opened registration.

Anyway I found another marathon through my friend's MSN nick! It is the Nike+ Human Race 10K held on 31st August. What's good about this is each runner gets to choose a charity organisation out of three (The UN Refugee Agency, Lance Armstrong Foundation, WWF) I'd most probably be choosing WWF though. Registration for this is also quite reasonable.. only $25 for the Under-25 category run. Yay! Kinda excited about the marathon.. but gotta start training for it!

Extraordinary Mind - Andre Jordan

Came across this from a friend's blog.. Found the words in the black board rather interesting :p

Poor Skippy

Skippy just got sterilized. Stayed over at the animal clinic last night and came back this evening. Poor dog, not only did he go through the sterilization process, the vet extracted one of his decayed tooth. Skippy can't walk straight and has been giving the family the pityful look since he returned. Eyes were teary and he couldn't rubbing his head against us. The only thing obstructing him now is probably the cone around his neck. Unfortunately, he cannot eat nor drink until tomorrow evening. Poor dog :(

He'll be fine soon, I hope.

This or That

I'm currently quite indecisive about the modules to take for the coming semester. There are some modules I want to take more than the other, but the timing just don't fit my desired timetable.. Urghh..

1) 'Contemporary American Literature' or 'Science Fiction: Origins to Parody'?

The lecturer for Contemp American Lit is definitely better as compared to Sci-fi, but Sci-fi definitely interests me more because it consists of the utopian/dystopian genre, something which I did in JC. But if I take Contemp Lit, I cannot take Forensic Science cos it would mean I have lessons every day (I'm trying to have one day break!)

2) Forensic Science or Business Marketing (to clear modules from other faculties)

Obviously, I'd prefer Forensic Science. I have been watching a Hong Kong TVB series with my mom which roughly shows the work of the forensic scientist.. quite cool. However, if I wanna take Forensic Science, I most probably have to take Contemp American Lit if I want my 4-day week. If I take Biz Marketing, I can choose either Contemp American Lit or Sci-fi. If I choose the former, I'd have a super packed Tuesday. Lectures and one tutorial back to back from 10:30am to 5:30pm. If I take Sci-fi, it will be more relaxed.

3) Introduction to Black and White photography: Thursday or Friday slot?

I'm very very interested in this module.. Will definitely take this module, but I'm torn between the Thursday or Friday slot. Of course, the waiting list for both slots is rather long, so whether I get this module is another issue altogether.

Still got 2 more weeks before registration day. Better plan well!

Fishes and Fishing

Bluefin tuna.. on the verge of collapse so the fishing season for them will stop 2 weeks before it officially ends. Maybe we'll see less of the maguro sashimi in the Japanese restaurants?

I was watching The Blue Planet on Arts Central just now, and I was simply astonished by the huge amount of fishes that are caught every day. As much as I love eating sushi, it was quite sad to see some ruthless ways the fishes are being caught in the net. The unintended breed of fishes that were caught would be thrown back into the ocean, but by the time they're being selected, it would be too late for survival.

Besides that, the sights of the underwater world is amazing. I don't think I'll ever have the chance to dive into the big blue ocean and just explore everything underneath. The pictures definitely do no justice to the real thing. God's creation is simply amazing.

I still love sushi, by the way.. I mean those fishes in the Japanese restaurants are already dead and preserved as sashimi... might as well eat them ey? Haha

Reminisces

My Korean tutee's Dad made kimbab! It's like sushi actually, but this kimbab has a very strong taste of sesame oil. Anyway it was very delicious.. makes me wanna make some myself, but I don't think I can ever reach that standard.
Anyway while I was teaching the kid, I heard some shouts at the school field just opposite the house. What I saw just made me so happy. There was a softball training going on at the school. The softballers were training their throws from base to base, their base to base running, their batting and catching etc.. it just reminded me so much of my training days in softball and I really miss trainings and playing during softball matches. I think I've become mouldy in my softball skills.. hopefully can play some softball next semester. I miss coach..

Ok, I was tagged by Stella to do this, and since I have some time now and I'm bored, I shall answer the questions.

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
Be very hurt, duh.. though I don't know what I will do

#2. If you can have a dream to come true, what would it be? To settle down in a beautiful cottage by the lake in a Western country.

#3. What will your dream wedding be like? Walking down the aisle of a church with my Dad, with all my family and friends witnessing the Holy Matrimony

#4. Are you confused as to what lies ahead of you?
Not confused at all, but clueless.

#5. What’s your ideal lover like?
Hah, only a selected few knows.. and I have answered this question in my written diary quite recently.

#6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
To be loved by God is far more blessed than the above-mentioned.

#7. What do you see yourself as?
An encourager.. a listener.. a friend.. a sister.. a daughter...

#8. If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?
I'll try my best to get him off my mind.

#9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Unfortunately, yes.

#10. If you had a choice, what kind of family you want to be born into?
A family with a Dad and a Mom, and an older brother. But I am 100% satisfied, thankful, blessed and happy with the family that I was born into.

#11. Is being tagged fun?
It really has to depend on the questions asked.

#12. How do you see yourself in ten years time?
I'll be 30. Hope to get married and have a kid by then.. haha!

#13. Who are currently the most important people to you?
Family and friends

#14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
She is the person who knows me inside out, whom has seen my ugliest and most beautiful side.

#15. Would you rather be single and rich or married but poor?
The latter.. but the first choice isn't a bad idea too.. hmm.. :p

#16. What’s the first thing you do every morning?
Look at my handphone clock and see if there's still time to snooze

#17. Would you give all in a relationship?
Maybe.. it has to depend on what "all" means.

#18. Do you live to love, live to hate or live for the sake of living?
None.. because I have to live for God.. but I guess the closest answer is live to love?

#19. What type of friends do you like?
I like all my friends.. no such thing as "type of friends".

#20. What type of friends do you dislike?
The same answer as #19. But then again, I don't like the seasonal kind of friends who just talk to you because they want to find out how you did for your exams and stuff..

Tagged people:
Tirza and Gail, cos I know you both always read my blog and will definitely answer the questions above :)

Nick, if you're free.. haha

Chew Wei, if time permits and if you're reading this :)

090608

Finally, the dreary week is gone. Felt slightly better over the weekends, but the issue still hovers around whenever I think about it.

Anyway, I finally got a camera. Didn't get a DSLR nor the Canon Powershot S5.. got a Lumix FZ-18 instead after some comparison done. Stella also changed her mind on getting the Canon SX100, and got a Lumix TZ15 instead (I hope I got the model right). Anyway we have been playing our cameras, and it was really fun playing with the manual functions of my camera. I'm still in the midst of learning about the different ISO, shutter speed and apeture settings.. still quite unsure of some of the functions, but it's always good to learn something new. Took some sample shots from my camera. They can be found here. Most of them were taken using the manual function.. Only the last few individual shots of my toys were taken using the IA mode. What I like about my camera is that I can add on the tele conversion and close-up lens, but I won't get those anytime soon.

Thank you, Dad and Mom, for spending so much time (and needless to say, the money), in getting the cameras for us.

Anyway, caught Kungfu Panda yesterday with some peeps from Campus. It's a really hilarious movie, and was definitely worth watching. Laughed from the beginning right up to the end. Even when the Panda was fighting the villian, the producers managed to insert some humour into those scenes. I like 3 characters very much - Po, Shifu, and Mantis. Everybody likes Po, don't need to explain why. I like Shifu because he's so puny and cute. I like Mantis, also because he's so puny and tiny, yet so comical (especially the acupuncture scene and the scene where he controlled the ropes).

Campus has been rather "quiet" lately because most of the people are back home, but Gail and Tirza are on their way to Singapore now (as I'm typing this). Hope they arrive safely.

An update

Ok, Tirza and Gail, this is an update! (Gail, you can wake up now! :p)

Kuku 2 arrived safely on Monday, thank God :) Continue to pray that she will find accommodation and that she'll settle down soon and get used to the place.

Have been looking around for cameras lately, but I've yet to decide on what I really want. I was recommended to get a second hand camera, but seems like I can't find what I want on the forum. Currently looking at the Canon Powershot S5, but Dad made a good point after we viewed the camera. He said that I might as well get a DSLR, considering the size of the S5 and some of its functions which are like the DSLR. Heard that the Canon 300D or 350D are good cameras for DSLR beginners, but buying a DSLR is really a hassle, especially when I only know the bare minimum. It isn't just the camera body.. gotta consider the kit lens, the bag, and other accessories. Some people are selling the DSLR at really cheap prices (even cheaper than the S5) but they may not come with the necessary accessories ( I don't even know what are the necessary accessories).


I have been/will be getting things that I want, which is good cos it makes me happier because these few days have been pretty bleak and gloomy.. feel rather restless these days... However, there are certain things that I want - want more than the material things that I can get... but I know I can never get them. For that, I can only sigh.

Oh, the joy!

Yay! Manchester United are the champions for both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. Too bad I couldn't catch the match live, but watched video snippets of the match and I could tell it was an invigorating match. Poor Terry :(

Back from the bugs-infested Taman Negara. Although we met a series of unfortunate events on our way there, God still proved to be the ultimate Provider. If we don't lean on Him nor pray to Him for help, what else can we do? Thank God for His mercy and grace, nonetheless.

Anyway, it was nice sleeping 3 nights to the orchestral lullaby of the crickets and many other bugs from the nearby forest, swimming in the clean waters by the waterfalls, walking at the canopy level of the rainforest, enjoying the picturesque view from the peak of the hill etc. Most importantly, it was a great time spent knowing more about God's Word, and having sweet fellowship with the Campus pple and even making new friends. The bus ride home was filled with lame jokes and games, and I especially liked the 'noisy game' which Wei-tse taught.

Ohh, I forgot to mention something. The food which the people served were really good! My personal favourites were the snakehead fish and cat fish. So fresh and yummy! We were served chicken and fish almost every day though, but they cooked it in different styles and sauce so it wasn't really a bother. The last day's breakfast was GREAT. Roti prata (roti canai in M-Sia), beehoon and curry sauce. I miss the food there. I was also surprised by the service of the people. They were so friendly, and ever-ready to top-up our food when we requested for more. Despite the many many bugs which I was quite afraid of, I would definitely wanna go back again for a time of relaxation and rest. It's a different kind of life altogether, and it was definitely a good break from a lousy semester - the kind of break I have been looking forward to ever since the semester began.

Now it's back to the hustle and bustle of life.

So many things to do and think about.

Billy Joel - Just the way you are

To use "good" to describe Billy Joel and some of his songs is simply an understatement. Love this song.

Just the way you are

Don't go changing, to try and please me,
You never let me down before,
Don't imagine, you're too familiar,
And I don't see you anymore.

I would not leave you, in times of trouble,
We never could have come this far,
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times,
I'll take you just the way you are.

Don't go trying, some new fashion,
Don't change the colour of your hair,
You always have my, unspoken passion,
Although I might not seem to care.

I don't want clever, conversation,
I never want to work that hard,
I just want someone, that I can talk to,
I want you just the way you are.

I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew,
What will it take till you believe in me,
The way that I believe in you?

I said I love you, and that's forever,
And this I promise from the heart,
I couldn't love you, any better,
I love you just the way you are.

I don't want clever, conversation,
I never want to work that hard,
I just want someone, that I can talk to,
I want you just the way you are

L

Ok, I'm gonna remain as an L Plate driver, hopefully until 31st July when I'm gonna take my test again.

I was prepared to fail, so thank God for the heart preparation. Was disappointed but felt better after awhile. Actually I felt more sad at the fact that my circuit test was close to perfection until the last station - parallel parking. Everything was fine until I reversed to move out. Touched the pole. Of course, despite the failure, I've many things to thank God for.

1) Thank God it did not rain when I was having my test. It was pouring quite heavily before the test during my final warm-up lesson, and that was the first time I drove in the rain. Thank God the rain stopped before my test.

2) Thank God I was not as nervous as I thought I'd be.

3) Thank God I did not get any immediate failures :)

4) Thank God for a VERY kind and patient tester. He knew it was my first time taking the test and explained many things to me. Along the way, he pointed out my mistakes and corrected me, and for that, I'm really thankful because I understood where I went wrong. He did not get frustrated nor angry, but was smiling when explaining the mistakes. That certainly removed a lot of nervousness and anxiety throughout the test.

5) Thank God for keeping me safe throughout the test route though there were quite a number of road obstacles and the traffic wasn't smooth.

6) Thank God for the mistakes made, so I can learn from them and not repeat them the next time I take my test.

7) Thank God for the countless number of encouragements from family and friends.

One failure, yet many blessings. :)

Dinner :)

Had dinner at ZY's house.. was so nice of him to cook dinner for us! From what was supposed to be an "instant meal", he turned the dinner to a wonderful European cuisine :) Thanks for the hardwork, dude! Your culinary skills are great!

First, the table caught our eye

Then the menu! (This is really amazing)
And the salad dressing..

The busy chef
The salad
The main course :) (Yes, it's salmon and asparagus!!)

The sinful pleasure... Chocolate mousse
Sinful pleasure No. 2: Chocolate truffles
His mini oven! I want this too!
The Chef :)
And all of us :)

We were saying that ZY shouldn't get a wife who can cook well, or else there will never be peace in his kitchen..

Great dinner, but a very fattening one as well. Time to go back to the jogging routine!

ttfn~!

"Nice" picture

Sometimes, you have this really nice and sweet picture in your head which just calms your heart...

But then, piang!

Something comes along and spoil the perfect image..

Haha.. I seriously hate those moments.

The Square Root of 3

The Square Root Of Three (From H&K 2)
By David Feinberg

I’m sure that I will always be
A lonely number like root three

The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine
For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic

I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality

When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three
As quietly co-waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer

We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands

Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed

:)

It was a good day spent with Kuku No. 2 today. We had free ice creams from Ben and Jerry's, and the queue wasn't so bad because it was a gradual moving queue albeit the long queue of people. I got a double scoop for my Chunky Monkey =p

Then Kuku No. 2 brought me to Bakerzin to try her favourite macaron. Macarons aren't too bad, though I wouldn't exactly say I like them cuz they're a bit too sweet for my liking. I can't remember all the three flavours I tried though, but the whisky-flavoured macaron was quite impressionable.

Kuku No. 2 with her new hairstyle! Nice nice :)

At Bakerzin with a nice backdrop

Then it was movie with the gals at The Cathay. We went into 'The Grand Cathay' which totally left us in awe the moment we stepped our foot in it. It was very different from the usual theatres, and the seats were pretty comfortable. Plus..! No extra charges for the comfort of the theatre :p

Jun and Lala Winini and Gogo


Harold and Kumar 2 was as good as its first installment, though more crude and slapstick in humour. The movie exposes a whole lot of stereotypes and discrimnation, like Koreans not knowing how to speak proper English, black Asians being associated with terrorism, the Jews being associated with poverty, the black Americans and grape drink.. etc. Managed to find out the link between grape drink and black Americans. Basically it's a ghetto version of grape juice which the blacks like.

Of course, the show won't be nice without John Cho.. haha!

ttfn~!

The Circuit

Exactly one more week to my driving test! It's quite scary actually...

Went to the driving circuit for the very first time just now. The feeling was quite overwhelming initially, seeing SO MANY cars and SO MANY number signs, and if I were to go in with an unclear mind, I'd definitely be bound to make terrible mistakes. Thankfuly I did not screw my first time in the circuit. Can't say the same for the second time I'll be going in, and the third time I'll be going in would be the test itself. Never mind, que sera, whatever will be will be. If I pass, I pass.. if I fail, I fail.. duh.

I was reading through my blog archives, and also the past entries of my diary. It's amazing to see how I've progressed/regressed/remain stagnant in different aspects of my life, and also how circumstances around me have changed or affected everything. Some were really silly, some were funny, some were emo, some were happy, some were sad, some were filled with angst..etc.

But that's life, isn't it? A myriad of feelings and emotions of life, just like a roller-coaster ride.

ttfn~!

Blessings

You'll never know happiness until you've seen sadness, and because of this, I'm truly thankful for blessings bestowed upon me.

Lazy

Day 1 of my holidays and I'm already feeling very 'nua' and SUPER lazy (like the koala bear above) The only productive thing I did was to pack my cupboard and file my notes for this semester.

Labelling my file, "Year 1 Stuff" made me realise that time passes really quickly. I was still a freshie last August, and now, I'm gonna be in Year 2! Wah... Come to think of it, the bulk of my undergraduate studies is made up of holidays and breaks. So in one academic year, I only study for 6 months. (August to November, January to April) Does it mean I have 6 months worth of holiday? But when I count the number of months that fill my holiday, it's actually kinda incongruent because it is only 4 months (May June July December).. Hmmm. I can't figure that out. Either I'm too lazy to think further or I'm not mathematically smart enough. Haha.. I think it's both.

Okok, this is so crappy.

As I was saying, I feel very nua and lazy. Managed to borrow Fifi's hard drive back to copy all the films and movies to my laptop (but he deleted the movie I wanted to watch most! Urgh..) ,but I'm too lazy to watch them. I actually have a list of things to do during the holidays but I wonder if I will actually be faithful to the list. Cake hunting, food hunting, reading, watching films, catching up etc..

OH NO! 3 MONTHS IS A LOONNNNGG BREAK!

I got tagged by Tirza!

Because I was tagged by Tirza, and because I'm bored from all the reading..
I don't usually do such stuff.

1. Real name : Stacey Leong
2. Nickname : Bear, cey cey, ss-teh-c, teh-c, sarsi (different people call me different names)
3. Married : Nope
4. Male or Female : Female
5. Highschool : USS
6. College : NTU
7. Short or long hair : Neither of each
8. Are you a health freak : Nope
9. Height : short... sighhh
10. Do you have a crush on someone : Maybe
11. Do you like yourself : Generally, yes, if I don't think of the flaws
12. Piercings : Ears
13. Righty or Lefty : Righty

FIRST'S
14. First surgery : Not yet
15. First piercing(s) : Ears?
16. First person you see in the morning : Depends on which day
17. First award : Hmm... 100M relay in primary 4?
18. First sport you joined : Badminton!
19. First pet : It was either the canary that I strangled to death of the rabbit that died after 3 days.
20. First vacation : Definitely Malaysia
22. First crush : The boy who sat beside me in Primary 1..hehe
23. Eating : Duh..? who doesn't eat.
24. Drinking : Refer to point 23.
25. I'm about to : Feel guilty for spending time on this instead of studying
26. Want kids : Yeah
27. Want to get married : Yes, God-willing.
28. Careers in mind : Still thinking

WHICH ONE IS BETTER
29. Lips or eyes : Ehh.. it doesn't bother me which one is better
30. Hugs or kisses : hugs
31. Shorter or taller : Taller, but not scarily tall
32. Romantic or spontaneous : Both would be good.
33. Sensitive or loud : Sensitive
34. Trouble maker or hesitant : Since nobody loves trouble, I'd choose the latter though I have no idea what it means.

HAVE YOU EVER
35. Kissed a stranger : nope
36. Drank bubbles : nah
37. Lost glasses/contacts : yeah
38. Ran away from home : no
39. Liked someone younger : yeah
40. Liked someone older : yep
41. Broken someone's heart : i think so..
42. Been arrested : -innocent eyes-
43. Cried when someone died : of course
44. Liked a friend : yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN
45. Yourself : sometimes
46. Miracles : yeah
47. Heaven : yup
48. Santa claus : nope. they look scary.
49. Angels : yeah

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY ~*
50. Is there one person you want to be with right now : possibly, but not certainly.
51. Do you believe in God : without hesitation, YES.

I'm supposed to tag people to do this, but I'm too lazy to think of specific names. So whoever that is reading this, just do it if you're as bo liao as me.

Back to studying now.... sigh.

Victorian Literature

Preparing for the exams has made me realised that Victorian Literature is actually the worst out of the 4 lit modules I'm taking this semester. In comparison, Singapore Lit is actually better, though equally boring.

Reading the Vic Lit books is tough. Flipping page after page gets harder because it seems as though each page is as heavy as a buffalo. I'm getting really tired from studying and reading. I just want to sleep. (But of course, I can't afford the luxury of doing so until the 23rd).

Feeling so bleak and tired of things at the moment. I can imagine the fog around me just like how the fog is everywhere as portrayed in Bleak House. Maybe it's just the whole Victorian genre which exhibits a relatively melancholic aura. -shrugs-


alk;jfawflja;lkjfajfjofiuoarifklvjnclkjhfvlhflhlfkjoifljclk
clkmnlmlmcnlcnlk nlkjljc;ajcl;jcljafcl;j
cljc;jc;ljcjcchguewprfuqwoirq
oivbnqnqviowjudlk;fjajas
ldkfjasfdlkjsdgjsgkjdhfdfhdfsdg

Hehe

Grins,smiles and beams for reasons that shall be left unsaid. :)

Exams

Here am I, still in school at 10plus at night, gradually losing my attention span. Waiting for Dad and Mum to come pick me up after their movie. Have been here since noon, with a great Subway lunch to start off the mugging session. Had dinner at the wonderfully and newly furnished Canteen A, and then it's back to my favourite spot at the benches. I remember mentioning before that it's rather therapeutic to study here.

Today was rather nice while I was mugging for the oh-so-dreaded HL105. Red-Bull Ambassadors came and gave me just what I needed. Red Bull. I was seriously dozing off at that point, and had to resort to bugging people on MSN (thanks CW, Gail, Jon and Nick for ur time! =p) Then about 10 minutes ago, this group of guys approached me with some snacks! Apollo and Kopiko. They're just normal students studying for exams too, yet they took the effort to prepare snacks for other people who are studying. I found that really amazing. (I mean, only girls do that, no? And even so, who would bother to do that when they can just concentrate on their own studies? -shrugs-)

Sigh.. Quite worried for the exams actually.. Please be over soon..

West in the East

A couple of movies that remind me of HL211 are out lately, Forbidden Kingdom and Children of Huangshi (Escape from Huangshi) but the latter is more appealing with the war/history genre. Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh come together yet again, which ostensibly adds to the appeal.
(Who cares about Jacky Chan when you have the fantastic Chow Yun Fat-Michelle Yeoh duo)

A reminder

Spoke to someone about something and this song came right into my mind.


Give of Your Best to the Master

Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth.
Throw your soul’s fresh, glowing ardor
Into the battle for truth.
Jesus has set the example,
Dauntless was He, young and brave.
Give Him your loyal devotion;
Give Him the best that you have.

Chorus
Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth.
Clad in salvation’s full armor,
Join in the battle for truth.

Give of your best to the Master;
Give Him first place in your heart.
Give Him first place in your service;
Consecrate every part.
Give, and to you will be given;
God His beloved Son gave.
Gratefully seeking to serve Him,
Give Him the best that you have.

Give of your best to the Master;
Naught else is worthy His love.
He gave Himself for your ransom,
Gave up His glory above.
Laid down His life without murmur,
You from sin’s ruin to save.
Give Him your heart’s adoration;
Give Him the best that you have.


With this as a reminder, what's there to worry since God will ultimately provide everything that is best for me?

The Endless Road

No colour, no leaves,
Just tree branches beckoning to somewhere bleak.
In every corner, darkness creeps
Who knows where this road would lead.

Sigh

Ok, enough said.


And it doesn't help that Fistful of Colours is such a horrible book.

Cebu!

Heard of VeggieTales? Watched this when I was younger with my sister, and until now, we still like this cartoon very much (they're really lame nonetheless)

The Final Lap

Right now, I'm really happy because I've finally completed my final essay!

Now it's time to chiong all my readings.

Something totally brainless but necessary

I was so bored that I had to do this to scare myself.

Semester 1's books. (add that with another 3 books which aren't with me)

This semester's books....the bottom stack of papers are the 211 (film studies) readings.. so add them with another 16 films that I've watched for the course. (wow.. 16 films in 12 weeks! I've never watched so many films in my whole life before.. so far at least.)

Behold, the difference

Wanted to list down all the books that are required to be read for this semester, but I figured out I'll just die of heart attack. :p

I haven't read 3 books out of the pile for this semester. How screwed am I. I heard it's not that dangerous to leave out Bleak House though.. might consider taking the risk depending on the time. Might just have to depend on Sparkie for Bleak House.
-oops-

If you're thinking that I have to complete the disgustingly thick book at the bottom, worry not. I just have to read selected texts and poems ;)

Now, back to the issues of Orientalism for my HL211 essay.. the most interesting yet profound module of the semester.

ttfn~!