Just a short blog to let you know I'm still alive. Have been spending my days babysitting and it's so exhausting! I've a lot more to say on this topic, but I'll save that for another day when I've more energy.
To Len and Ange, if you're reading this while in the states: hope you're enjoying yourselves!!! Come home soon, and safely.
To the rest of my friends, have a fun-filled weekend with your loved ones.
And if anybody wants to get me a xmas gift (as if!), Arden Beauty EDT would be much appreciated. ;P posted 02:12
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I finally saw "A la folie … pas du tout" yesterday with Li-Sa, Keemin, Yanshan, Pei Ee and Tjin-Kai. This show is awesome! You all should go and see it. If the last movie you saw was some lame Hollywood action flick drenched in sex and violence but low in entertainment value then you MUST REALLY see this show.
After hearing all the hype about the movie I came expected to be blown away from the very first scene. But I must admit that the first third of the movie was a little commonplace. BUT, in (literally) a matter of heartbeats, the whole movie took on (literally) a whole new spin. It's like "Memento" where everyone of your assumptions is steadily proven wrong until you don't know what is real anymore. This movie plays with your emotions- at various times I was either on the edge of my seat, or holding my breath, or cowering behind my hands and even staring in open-mouthed shock at the screen. There was a particularly tense moment when Shan and I turned to each other and said "I'm really scared!"
Go and see it!!! (But don't spoil the experience by reading up on the storyline beforehand.)
And afterwards, anonymously send Yanshan a purple rose. Heh-heh… posted 02:43
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Here's some info about the movie. Translate them yourself, failing that, just enjoy the pictures.
Official German site FYI, the German title 'Wahnsinnig Verliebt' roughly translates to 'Insane Falls in love'.
Check out the trailers, pictures and the LoveTest (der Liebestest)- type 2 names and press enter to see how compatible they are.
"The French version of pulling petals off a daisy is much more dramatic than our own:
'Elle m'aime un peu . . . beaucoup . . . passionnement . . . a la folie . . . pas du tout!' or, 'She loves me a little . . . a lot . . . passionately . . . madly . . . not at all!'"
Taken from Martha Barnette's Fun Words Archive posted 02:31
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YOU WOULD HANG YOURSELF. you both crave and fear death. you're fairly certain that you wouldn't actually commit suicide, but you often fantasize about it because you can't think of any other way to escape living a life that you hate. you're wary about doing anything irreversible and you have a healthy awareness of the repercussions of your actions.
Wow! The Star Trek Nemesis website is really wonderful, especially to a computer-idiot like me. The whole website (graphics, features, layout, content) is fantastic, but my favourite thing has to be the navigation bar. You know how its usually just icons arranged along a line? Well for this one, imagine a revolving globe, with all the icons along the equator. So the navigation bar spins! Whee! (It's so easy to make me happy)
Ok, I'm doing a crap job at describing it, just go see for yourself... posted 02:51
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I was just surfing the Nokia website for fun, when I came across the Nokia 3650. Wow! It doesn't even look like a phone. It looks like a tricorder from Star Trek or something. Very cool! posted 02:10
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I'm overjoyed to know that Ange loves the card we sent her. That was the point afterall, to show her that we love her. *Hugs*
For the record, Tjin was supposed to sign it as well, but I didn't get a chance to meet him. My bad. He sends his wishes also.
Ange: Ask Len to show you the ZoCard I sent him, it's one of the funniest I've seen in a while. posted 19:44
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After days of trying (*%#* Blogger), I've finally manged to read Tjin's blog and what a whopper of a post it was! The subject matter was close to heart (literally and figuratively): BRAS! Which reminded me of something I've been wanting to say for a while: Friends, Women, Countrymen, Give me your bras!
Hey, it's for a good cause. Each bra we donate to Class 95 FM's Bras For A Cause, 50c will be donated to the Breast Cancer Foundation. Plus, we'll get a $5 Wacoal voucher for every bra donated. So dig into your underwear drawers and give up your bras. I'm sure we all have our 'B' grade bras which no longer fit or have become worn out. Rather than just throwing them away, why not put them to good use. As for my guyfriends, encourage your mothers, sisters and girlfriends to participate. After all, what can be more fun than lingerie shopping with your beloved to replace all these donated bras? Or she could 'go commando' from now on... It's a win-win situation.
Just contact me and I'll pick up these 'over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders' at a time and place convenient for you. When I've accumulated a significant number, I'll deposit them at the collection counters. Let's help create a Guiness record for the largest bra collection! posted 19:35
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The haze is bad. Although it’s been raining for the past 2 days in my area, the haze is still pretty thick. I haven’t seen blue skies for a while now. I miss blue skies. For the sake of everyone who’s fallen ill because of the bad air (especially Shan); I hope the winds change direction soon. Hopefully the PSI levels won’t get any higher.
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I now have voicemail for my residential telephone number. Well, actually all of us do. It’s some Singtel promotion, with no monthly subscription fee and no admin charge. However, we get billed every time we retrieve the messages. Unfortunately for my family, we’ve lost the letter with our account information and passwords, so we’ll never be able to check for messages.
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Today marks the eighth consecutive day of babysitting. I cannot find the words to describe how miserable I am. I blew off some steam earlier by having a good cry, so I’m okay for now. But if this situation goes on for much longer (as I fear it will), I am going to throw myself off the top floor. That, or kill the baby. posted 03:38
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Happy 21st Birthday to Angeline!
Happy 22nd Birthday to Xueli!
and
Happy Belated Birthday to Sufang!
(Hers was on the 13th, but I didn't blog then.)
You're a Tragic Romantic. Don't worry; Be happy. Like it's really that easy, right? Grieving takes time, no matter what you're getting over. Don't dwell so much on what has happened and go into the future without expectations. Healing will come. posted 07:17
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Monday, October 14, 2002
Oh dear! Posted the wrong thing on the wrong blog. Anyway, here is what I wanted to say in THIS space...
"Bee grimaced at her sideways and Ana felt herself die a little inside. She never knew what to say to Bee. That was the trouble. She was always worried she was going to say something stupid or embarrassing. So she usually ended up saying nothing at all - which was bad, because then Bee just thought she was an illiterate cretin." Quoted from 'One Hit Wonder' by Lisa Jewell
This particular paragraph jumped out at me whilst I was reading the book because it accurately summarises how I feel whenever I'm in a social situation. Lately, I have had the good fortune of meeting several new people. But unlike what Yanshan thinks, I have NOT been networking. I try to but usually I become so shy and tongue-tied around these people that they don't have a good impression of me. I'm lucky if they think I can form a coherent sentence at all!
There's a saying that goes: "Better to be thought of as a fool, than open your mouth and confirm it." I live by this maxim, which might explain why I'm usually not the talkative sort. For example, when I meet people in my age group, I tend to feel that I'm not 'cool' or 'happening' enough. (Gawd, did I just use the words cool and happening? Arggh, how backdated is my lingo?!?) So I usually keep silent before anyone realises what an utter nerd I am. And when I'm with adults (definition: age 35+), I feel like a boring, stupid and suaku little girl with the social graces of a monkey. Adults always tell the most interesting anecdotes, but since I've not experienced enough of this world, I don't have any stories to share. And the more I try to find something intelligent to say, the more I'm lost for words. So all I ever do is grin (almost maniacally) whilst frantically nodding my head, all the while looking like an escaped mental patient.
And YOU, the one reading this right now, YOU who I've been friends with for a few years, YOU give me social anxiety too. I know its strange, but I can't help it. So the next time we're alone together and I'm very, very quiet, don't think that I'm stoning or that I don't want to talk to you. It's just that I'm nervous as hell and unsure of what to say. So just keep talking, I'm much better at listening (I hope). posted 01:54
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ArtSingapore: Contemporary Asian Art Fair.
Suntec, 11-15 Nov, 11am-8pm.
Does anybody want to go this thing with me?
I've never been to it before, so I'm not sure what to expect. But I guess it'll be a good chance to see several artworks by major contemporary asian artists. posted 06:54
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Thursday, October 03, 2002
Yesterday I saw "Colour of Paradise", an Iranian film directed by Majid Majidi, the director of "Children of Heaven". It was a deceptively simple tale of a blind boy, masking deeper issues of spirituality, vision/blindness, etc. Pearly was in tears at the end of the movie, but I thought that the ending was full of hope and happiness. I guess it all depends on your perspective of true bliss.
The movie is ending its run pretty soon, but there's always the DVD or VCD. Don't forget the tissues (esp. YS). posted 04:50
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You should all read Sarah's article on the inner workings of a girl's mind. Its rather funny. I quote my favorite passage:
"If a girl ever notes an annoying characteristic of girls - say something like, "Oh those girls just want you to think they're cute." - but then mentions that she is definitely *not* like those girls, she is indeed just like those girls and is only trying to convince you that she's different so you'll find her more attractive. She's not any different, she's just like all the rest." posted 04:31
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Tuesday, October 01, 2002
HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY!
To our inner child who is sometimes also our outer child.
If you understood what that meant, could you let me know?
September is a special month for my family. During this month my parents celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary while my elder sister celebrated her 2nd. Birthday-wise, my nephew turned 1, my niece turned 3* and my elder brother-in-law turned another year older. And of course, I (finally) graduated.
*in case u were wondering, the children belong to my eldest sister, who has been married for 4 years
Yesterday all 9 of us went to JB to celebrate these special occasions. Initially I was opposed to the idea of spending a whole day with my family and in a foreign country to boot. I love them and all but I'm not really keen on family outings. Typical teenage angst, I guess. But when I saw my entire family gathered in one place and enjoying the buffet fare, I really felt thankful. I felt so blessed that everyone I love is happy and healthy and that we had so much. What a great way to spend a Sunday. posted 05:28
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Here's an article from TalkingCock.com about the Esplanade. I found it amusing because just last week my friends and I were discussing how the city skyline looks like a giant lady lying on her back. Our theory worked fine except for the Stamford hotel which turned our giant lady into a giant transvestite! posted 03:43
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Saturday, September 28, 2002
Today someone said that I look like a teacher. What's that supposed to mean? posted 03:49
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Thursday, September 26, 2002
And just like that, I've snapped out of it. Am happy now.
FYI, marigolds (the flower) are a constant motif in "Monsoon wedding". So the official website has a delightful mouse trail featuring (you guessed it) MARIGOLDS. It's really fun! I just spend a few minutes moving the mouse around just so that I could play with the flowers. Ah the simple joys of life...
And last night, I dreamt that UCC (during commencement week) was completely awash with marigolds. Everyone was merrily taking photos under marigold arches and playfully tossing these flowers to one another. A silly, happy dream. posted 07:10
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I'm in a blah mood now. Perhaps it's because I'm hungry, or maybe it's PMS or maybe it's due to the gravity of the moon. Whatever!
I have mooncake! I have mooncake! Thanks to Sufang, who gave me some bite-sized mooncakes from the Tung Lok group of restaurants. I had forgotten how sweet they were. Its a good thing she gave me just enough to satisfy my craving. No more mooncake for me... at least not until next year. :P
And to add to my post on September 16th:
Sufang was in the same Arts Club FOC OG group as Tjin-Kai's girlfriend Pei Ee.
Today's post was supposed to be about the dinner I attended last night, but something else happened. I fell down. Twice. Okay, okay, I fall down all the time, afterall, I have the Bridget-Jones-falling-down-a-lot gene. But yesterday's fall was more painful than most. Not only was my pride (severely) wounded by falling down in crowded Orchard Road, I also have a scraped knee, a bruised hip and a sprained foot.
Everybody asks why I fell down but I just don't know. One minute I was fine, the next I was on very intimate terms with the ground. Maybe I should give up walking altogether. Sigh, I'm such a loser... posted 06:18
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Thursday, September 19, 2002
I think I'm having sympathy pain for Len (and perhaps even for Yanshan). I haven't been eating or sleeping well, which means I'm now sick. But don't worry about me, I'll just imbibe some pills and I'll be good as new.
On the other hand, I worry that it won't be so easy for Len. He's been under a lot of stress lately, trying to cope with all his tests, essays and readings. And he's not been taking care of himself, eating little and sleeping even less. I think he's pushing himself too hard. But of course, he doesn't think so. And since we're oceans apart, what can I do other than fret? posted 03:07
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Wednesday, September 18, 2002
You know the world has gone wonky, when Len (who lives in North Carolina, USA) has mooncake and I (living in Singapore) don't. posted 02:36
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Tuesday, September 17, 2002
My horoscope for today says:
Romance is in the air today, Amy. Alas, it seems to rain down on everyone but you. You must have put on your romance-repellent raincoat before leaving the house this morning.
I've just developed my first roll of Commencement photos and I can't stop looking at them. Narcissist!!! hee hee...
Certain people (whose names I shall not mention) look absolutely perfect in every single shot. While the rest of us mortals have shiny faces, unkempt hair and untidy gowns. I'm so jealous.
I have several dodgy photos, either blurred or off-centred but I also have a great shot of Yanshan's long tanned legs. She's so beautiful! In that photo, Huayi and I (who flank her) look like her very ugly stepsisters. Sigh...
I'm going to scan the better photographs and put them online so all of you can see them. I hope to get it done by next week, while we're all still in the Commencement mood. Anyone who wants to help me is more than welcome! :-) posted 04:37
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Monday, September 16, 2002
Let's play the 6 degrees of separation game:
I first met Tjin-Kai during his interview for the GeogSoc MC. However, we only became close friends after working on GC01. Tjin-Kai then introduced me to his buddy, Keemin, who in turn, introduced me to Pearly. For the past few weeks, Pearly has been telling me all about Amin, who would be in the same commencement ceremony as I was. She figured we could keep each other entertained during the lengthy ceremony. Amin used to work at the Motorola Care Centre with Sufang. Sufang told Amin that he would be getting his degree just before mine, based on our surnames. She was right, Amin was No:274 and I was No:275. Sufang and Yanshan have been very close friends, starting from their GeogSoc days. And as you all might know by now, Yanshan is my larling!
Furthermore:
Yanshan's friend Ilona is in one of Keemin's classes.
Sufang's boyfriend Marcus is the cousin of my ex-classmate from VJC, Sandy.
Amin's Motorola colleague Sauyan is also one of the GeogSoc family members.
Pearly's friend Sharom used to be (until 4 months ago) the boyfriend of Lili, who was my close friend from RGS.
Keemin knows Anthai (not sure of the spelling) who used to be in my HRM class.
Tjin-Kai on the other hand knows Balan, who was in my HRM project group and now guest lectures the PS honors class.
That's just some of the connections that I can think of at the moment. I'm sure there are others. And I've not included my other acquaintances.
I've not been blogging recently because I've been busy with Commencement. So much has happened, both good and bad, happy and sad. It's been an intense couple of days... I've also been thinking about love and its many forms. No, I've not unlocked it's mysteries, if anything I'm even more confused than before.
Anyway, to change the subject completely, last Wednesday I saw Comrade Mayor with Yanshan, Tjin-Kai, Keemin and Huan Jie. CM was a complete joy to watch, unlike most original Singaporean productions which are usually tedious and self-indulgent. It calls itself a 'modern political fairytale' but the show is not very political, or at least it does not make any political statements/stand. It is actually pretty funny and entertaining. There were cringe-worth moments when the play descended into student theatre shenanigans, but overall it was a slick production. The show ends on 22nd September, go and watch it if you can. posted 05:22
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Left to right: Xueli, Huayi, ME, Dr TC Chang, Josephine, Christina (owner of the digicam that took the photo), Rachel.
Location: Entrance to Lee Kong Chian Art Museum, NUS Museums.
I've got the same result as Sufang. Like her I was hoping to get Buttercup, unlike Yanshan who wanted anything but Buttercup. But, in the end only Angeline actually got Buttercup.
It's a curious thing, but Sufang and I usually get the same result for these online tests. Perhaps we're more alike than we admit. Hmmn, that's something to think about... posted 06:23
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In conjunction with Commencement, the NUS Museums will be open from 9am to 9pm until this Friday. Do drop by (with your families) and look at the exhibits in all 4 galleries. My favourite is the Ng Eng Teng gallery on the top floor, which most people skip because they don't realise it exists. Don't graduate from NUS without ever stepping into its museums!
By the way, the head of the museum's outreach department has told me that it's permissable to take photos in the galleries, as long as you don't use flash. I can recommend a few choice locations. :-) posted 05:42
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Monday, September 09, 2002
My Commencement ceremony is this Thursday and I don't feel excited yet. I've been telling myself that all these feelings of enthusiasm will manifest when the time comes, but so far I don't feel a thing. Instead, I feel a profound sadness that certain things, which I've looked forward to for a long time, will not happen.
In other news, it is currently the recess week at NUS. Not that it changes anything, as my friends are still too busy for socialising. Wonder if it'll be the same old story during the November vacation?
I went to the Commencement concert yesterday. It was really short! The music only took about 40 minutes, and the commentary, MC and prop changes took another 20 minutes. So altogether it was just barely over an hour long. I'm glad I don't live 1 1/2 hours away from UCC or I'll be really pissed. I also pity this small group of stragglers who came at about 9+pm (concert started around 8.30 pm) who only caught the last few minutes of the show.
And the show itself? Well, it started out fine with the NUS Wind Symphony and the Philharmonic Winds playing 2 well-known and well-loved classics. Then it swiftly went down the drain when the NUS Chinese Orchestra joined them to play 2 fusion pieces. Not that it was the CO's fault. Rather it was that Belgian conductor who fancies himself as being a composer. I'm not being a traditionalist or a purist, this guy's sense of music is really questionable. I would call his music cacophony rather than counterpoint. Degenerative rather than developmental. Fusion (East-West) music can and does work. But yesterday was one of the times went it flopped. Thankfully it was a short concert.
Afterwards I met Keemin and we went to duck noodle place. I (We?) discovered (in chronological order) that (i) they make a fantastic teh peng with a generous head (the bubbly froth makes it so fun to drink while the tea flavour was strong) (ii) a new noodle dish that was yummy (but unfortunately neither of us knew the name so I can never order it again) (iii) they serve 'dinosaurs' (no more having to stick with cheese prata shop).
Am happy. And permanently playing Ravel's 'Bolero' in my head. dum da da dum... posted 06:06
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Thursday, September 05, 2002
This is taken from part 83 of Mr Brown's wildly hilarious 'Singapore National Education' series.
I have also learned lately:
That NUS students who wish to graduate must complete their CFM, or Cross-Faculty Modules so that they can be "well-rounded" scholars. So if that Engineering student who got all As in his major and is the Nobel Peace Prize winner in Physics, flunks Comparative Literature, or the English major who is a published poet and Booker Prize winner flunks C++ Programming, they do not graduate.
CFM does not stand for Come F### Me.
Female students who did well for their CFM course are reluctant to say so, for fear of misinterpretation. posted 02:34
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Saturday, August 31, 2002
I had oodles of fun going shopping with Tjin-Kai yesterday. I 'helped' him spend $0.4K and got to carry several very pretty shopping bags. Am happy.
If anyone else needs to shop, I'll be very pleased to tag along. Or, you can ask me to be your personal shopper and I'll do all the shopping for you. Hint! Hint!
Am also overjoyed that Len called me this afternoon. Blogs, emails, ICQ and SMS keep us in touch, but it can't compare to having an actual conversation. I hope the phone bill's not too scary...
Anyone wants to go for a Commencement Concert? Its next Thursday, 5th September, 8.15pm at UCC Hall. Let me know by Wednesday so I can get tickets (Its only $1!).
Quite some time ago, Ange and I were at Ig's Heaven at Citylink Mall and we came across keychains with a Celtic astrology motif. For more information on these horoscopes, you can go to Brownielock's site. I don't really believe in it, but the descriptions are general enough to be adapted to almost anybody. Just thought it was a fun way to waste a couple of minutes.
Anyway, here's what they had to say about me: POPLAR TREE (the Uncertainty)
- looks very decorative, not very self-confident, only courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.
I'm not too sure about the decorative bit, but everything else is pretty close to the mark. Ok, I admit most of it is complimentary. If only I were really that brilliant! Artistic? Philosophy? Reliable? I wish!
But do take heed about the 'needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings' and 'often lonely' bit. Especially now since I've nothing to do and all my friends are otherwise engaged. ;-) posted 03:22
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Tuesday, August 27, 2002
One enchanted evening on campus...
Blue and yellow lights contrasting with the dark, dense canopy.
Shrubbery outlined with white lights.
Both complemented by the warm glow of the streetlamps.
All bathed by the orange radiance of the full moon.
A gentle breeze carries the sound of distant laughter.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Elvis' death, I would like to share my favourite Elvis song, which can be found in his 1973 album 'Separate Ways'. This song was later covered by Willie Nelson and the Pet Shop Boys. More recently it was featured on an episode of Ally McBeal.
"Always On My Mind"
Maybe I didn't treat you
Quite as good as I should have
Maybe I didn't love you
Quite as often as I could have
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me, give me one more chance
To keep you satisfied, satisfied
Maybe I didn't hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I never told you
I'm so happy that you're mine
If I make you feel second best
Girl, I'm sorry I was blind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me, give me one more chance
To keep you satisfied, satisfied
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
You were always on my mind
You are always on my mind
You are always on my mind
Did you know that last year 1/3 of all turkeys were produced in North Carolina? That's more than anywhere else in the United States. posted 06:40
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Sunday, August 18, 2002
I have been a technology nomad for as long as I can remember. I have used PCs and laptops in many odd places, and this one is another to add to the collection. The National Day Rally (held at UCC) starts in about an hour, and I'm currently in the (adjoining) NUS Museum, wasting time and waiting for permission to leave the building. To say security is tight is like saying water is wet. Rather than run through the gauntlet of bag checks, metal detectors, frisking, sniffer-dogs and security guards who give you the evil eye, I've decided to just stay put until it's safe to wander around.
I'm not complaining, cos I love collecting experiences, both good and bad. And, there's a buffet after this, to make up for all this trouble. Yum! So now I'm passing the time by blogging and reading others' blog. Am happy.
And to U: You're back!!! Yay! Double Yay! posted 04:14
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Saturday, August 17, 2002
Wednesday turned out okay in the end, thank goodness. Most of the credit is due to Yanshan, so thank you sayang! We actually turned up for the GeogSoc AGM and sat through the first third of it. I've been to 5 of these already, can you believe it?!?
Not much to update on my life. Collected my gown for graduation. Now headed to the GeogSoc handing over dinner/bbq.
Oh yes, found this website, Brick Testament which is quite hilarious. Its an illustrated Bible that uses Lego figurines and sets. It's not mean to be blasphemous, but sometimes one just can't help laughing. I especially love baby LegoJesus, he's so cute! And the LegoAngel Gabriel with his gossamer wings and 5 o'clock shadow cracks me up. And don't get me started on those sheep...
And Happy Early Birthday to Keemin, in case I don't feel like blogging on Monday. posted 01:39
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Tuesday, August 13, 2002
I am having a not-so-good day. I am trying to find the silver lining. I know it exists. posted 23:23
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*shock*
First of all, I want to admit that I am the least sensitive/tactful person I know. So I'll try to be careful about what I say, but I know I'll screw it up anyway. So sorry to anyone I offend.
Have you read Keemin's and Li-sa's blogs? I probably shouldn't gossip and bring it to your attention, but I just thought you should know, since we're all friends.
I'm just shocked at what's happened to them. And I hope they're both ok. I want to offer my support, but am at a lost at what to say. What can I say that won't sound flippant, formulaic or just plain unhelpful? I don't want to say the wrong things. Sigh, there I go being self-involved again, thinking of myself rather than others.
"I have a million words and I have no words" Kelly Breidenstein, 2002 posted 04:35
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Saturday, August 10, 2002
Happy 37th National Day!
Happy Birthday to me!
My birthday was on August 9th and I'm still on a birthday high. Whee!!! This birthday started out not so good, but looks like its picking up. Hope everything turns out ok. Have much to blog, will do so next week. Meanwhile, thanks everyone, for the birthday greetings. : ) posted 01:29
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Friday, August 09, 2002
I'm extremely shocked to know that John Fodge, whose old blog I've been reading on a regular basis, knows I exist. I mean this guy lives in Denmark, for crying out loud!
Anyway, he left a message on my guestbook, informing me of his new journal. I'm not sure how he tracked me down, perhaps it was from a comment I left months ago. Or, he could have checked all the google entries under his name/url and checked out all the websites that link to him. I bet I'm not the only one he did this to. Wow! He's really thorough.
Today was my second trip to OSA to collect my CCA transcript, and I still have nothing to show for it. It was supposed to be ready last week, but the people in charge of processing it had not gotten round to getting my transcript signed. And this time round, they made a typo, so I'll have to wait a couple more days. If it wasn't for the holidays, I would've been able to collect it by the end of the week. Now I'll just have to collect it next week, along with my academic dress for commencement.
All this fuss for 2 pieces of paper! I thought that I was moderately active in CCA, but looking through my transcript, it looks like I've done nothing. I think its the way they arrange the activities. Had they arranged it chronologically or used different fonts, it would have looked better. Then again, no presentation can ever do justice to all the blood, sweat and tears I've given for my CCA. But given a chance, I would do it all again. posted 05:11
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Saturday, August 03, 2002
Had fun meeting up with the girls (Huayi, Sufang, Yanshan) yesterday at the West Coast Olio Dome. I thought it would be a small get-together, but was pleasantly surprised to see Marcus and Sauyan there as well. I hope we'll continue to have such 'girly' outings in the future, no matter how busy each of us are with school or work. posted 04:15
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I wanted to write a lot, but I'm really starving. So will just rush a few words then go stuff my face.
Spent the afternoon at the NUS Museum's open house. It was actually meant for freshmen, but I saw a couple of university staff as well. Missed the Peranakkan (i can never spell this word) bead handicraft demonstration, but managed to go for the guided tour of all 3 galleries. Wish you were there, Len.
But the most fun part was the Chinese painting demonstration by Ang Cheng Chye, who churned out 4 pieces in just over an hour. I especially liked the last piece which was 2 long-stemmed orchids with 2 butterflies hovering around them, entitled, 'Couple'. Actually it was called some fancy, ultra-poetic Chinese name, which I can't recall. The artist tried to explain the significance to me, which was really nice of him.
And I'm super impressed that he has his own website. How organised of him! Pity that the works online are not his best. I think the stuff that are in his books and in his photo album are better. Will look forward to seeing more of his stuff in art galleries, and such. posted 03:59
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Tuesday, July 30, 2002
Buddha ... with his philosophy of non-attachment leading to tranquility and an ultimate end to the cycle of samsara, of rebirth and suffering. (taken from Len's journal)
I'm struck by these words because, as a self-professed anal-retentive person, non-attachment is virtually impossible. My problem has always been that I'm too attached to everything, even the smallest most inconsequential things. That's why my room is filled with clutter. What others would classify as junk I treasure for sentimental reasons.
There are so many things (and people) that I'm unhealthily attached to. But where does one start in the quest for non-attachment? How to let go? posted 04:37
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Wednesday, July 24, 2002
When God closes a door, He opens a window
Just when I'm prepared to be utterly miserable, something wonderful happens. Thank you!
Just came back from an art symposium, organised by the RJC Art Elective Programme and hosted by the NUS museums. Pretentiously entitled "Entry Point", it was held at the ungodly hour of 9am (when I'm usually only just started to sleep). Sigh... wish the world operated on my internal clock. It was not too bad, no earth-shattering discussion actually took place, but I did pick up some useful nuggets of information (i.e. trivia). Not too sure if I'll turn up for the next one, perhaps I'll just leave it to these AEP-ers.
Afterwards, I stopped by the Ceramitivity exhibition, with the intention of buying the catalogue/program. I didn't manage to get it before, cos I visited the exhibition without bringing my wallet. Anyway, since today's the last day of the exhibition, I got the booklet for free! Yay, me! :) According to Len, the latin word 'CERA' translates as horn, so he now he goes around calling this exhibition 'The Horniness'.
I'm headed for Len's farewell party (official name: Yay, we're finally getting rid of him!) now. Hope it's fun. posted 00:58
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I'm reading voraciously! My average is a book a day. This probably tells you that I currently (or should that be still?) have no life, so my nose is constantly buried in a book. Not that I'm reading anything of worth, its mostly pulp fiction. And all the authors names start with H: Holt, Harman, Harris and Harvey. When I've read all their books, maybe i will move on to G: Gaiman, Gaardner, etc. Kidding!!! Or perhaps pick up the rest of Hardy. I usually read him when I'm depressed, to cheer myself up. Yes, I know his books are tragic, but knowing that my life does not suck as much as his characters' (e.g. Jude) do, makes me feel damn good.
I'm pretty anal when it comes to reading. I love to read a wide range of authors, but I prefer to 'finish' each author before moving to the next one. For example, I've just finished reading all of Elton's books and am now trying to complete Harvey. I also try to read the books in chronological order, even though they are not related. I feel that this method allows me to assess the way that the author's writing has matured. I am sometimes disappointed with the author's maiden book after reading his prize-winning novel. So, if I keep to my 'method', I reduce this kind of disappointments. Plus, it helps me to remember (in a flash) what I have or have not read.
I've managed to do this for several authors, and am now waiting for these folks' latest books to be available at the library. I'm really glad that the national library is quite fast in updating their collection. I can already find books that were published in the 1st quarter of 2002. Go NLB! posted 06:58
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You're sweet at first, but like all good things, people get sick of you after a while. One good (or bad, depends how you look at it) thing though: you're not available in the US.
I saw Gosford Park with Len on Tuesday. I absolutely adored it! If you have a penchant for all these little British eccentricities, you'll love the movie too. It certainly appealed to my inner-snob. Call me elitist, but who wouldn’t want to live in such a social structure? Perhaps I spent too much of my childhood surrounded by books and movies which glorify the division between the privileged and those that serve them.
*****
I’m going to see the Rodin exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum tomorrow. I'm pretty excited about it, as Rodin is my favourite sculptor. So far I’ve only seen his works in books or on the net. But tomorrow, I’ll be able to see some of his original works in the flesh. I’m really fortunate that my little hometown is one of the exhibition’s stop-overs. After all, who knows when I’ll be able to travel all the way to France? posted 04:26
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Tuesday, July 09, 2002
Just a 'short' blog to let everyone know I'm still alive. I'm completely recovered from my bout of gastric flu, though I haven't finished my medicine. It seems silly to continue taking it when I'm perfectly fine, but also such a waste to throw it away. Guess I'll just add it to my family's medicine cabinet and hope someone uses it before it expires. (Anyone needs anti-nausea pills?)
By the way, Tjin-Kai thinks I spread the virus to his girlfriend cos she's now sick too. But gastric flu is not airborne and I don't recall swapping saliva with either of them. Heh!
I've seen Minority Report which is a way cool show! Its borderline Hitchkokian in places and has loads of thought-provoking themes. It also has plenty of eye-candy and excitement, so you can leave your brain at the door too. Go see it!
I've had loads of fun at VSA, so many thanks to Len for introducing me to it. I made friends with Victoria, one of the vendors at the exhibition. Although she is hearing impaired and I don't understand sign language, we somehow managed to 'converse' with each other. It was a blast helping her sell her self-made pouches and bags. She's been very kind to me: When i was ill, she gave me some medicated ointment and she also rewarded me with drinks whenever I manned her stall. Hope I'll see her again. posted 03:27
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Wednesday, July 03, 2002
I've been really ill for the past 2 days with gastric flu. But the medication has kicked in and I'm feeling a lot better now.
I'm not in a blogging mood though, but I just wanna promote the Very Special Arts annual exhibition which is on at the Raffles City Atrium until Sunday, 7th July. The opening hours are 10am-10pm. Please come down to take a look or to buy something. There are some great bargains to be found! posted 05:10
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Friday, June 28, 2002
Sent:Tue, 25 Jun 2002 20:48:58 +0700
hey, i had that thot too, to go housekeeping. aiyah, y din u reply earlier coz my frens here thinks i'm mad and so i dropped the idea! if only i had that encouragement earlier. i'm now serving my last wk and got a change of dept to the business centre. basically doing very duh jobs like faxing, photocopying and so on. quite brainless kind. my other fren who is more assertive ( a trait i think i shld hasten in picking up) got a transfer to the exciting sales dept. so she is only got to work for 2 hrs today coz we are on aft shift i.e 3pm and office ends at 5.30pm. shiok right?
i will be travelling till late jul. i've confirmed my return tix on 26/07/02 (fri) which is the end of 1st wk of sch i.e i'm going to miss wk 0 of sch. u think it'll be ok? *cross my fingers that u wun scream at my idiosyncracies* i mean, i am only leaving for thai on 5/7 and travelling north to laos will take abt 1wk fastest. and since i'm already spending so much $$ on the laos visa, i betta utilise it to the fullest right? and laos is super mega scenic lor! got big waterfalls, fantastic rapids, mountains and the world heritage sites etc...so i think i'll be spending like 2 wks there. in summary, i can only be back on the 26th (earliest).
anyway, i am going to north myanmar with my two other frens from sedona for 6 days and will be leaving this coming sat. having no time so we are flying i.e i m BROKE! i've finished my US$500 in myanmar coz of the flight. damn bad hor. now i'm trying to live off free meals from pple so that i can sustain myself thru the north myanamr trip. the first thing i'll do upon reaching bangkok is to find a teller to withdraw money. cannot make it already.
ok lah. this is quite a lengthy mail. shall spare u the agony of hearing (or rather reading) my complains.
just dropping a note to announce my release from BP in 2 hours time. things look pretty bad for me these days coz i just got ticked off by my manager who used to like me quite abit. think i have no mood to work this wk and have been running ard that's y but heck man! 2 more hours and i'll be done! yippee!!!!! this a season to be joyous fa la la la la la la la la!
in summary, the only thing i got out of this "learning experience" is that hotel is really not for me. it aint my cuppa tea and that i am hopeless in tryin to get what i want and i can be really down on my luck. Like now, i;m the only pathetic soul stuck at work while the rest of the world is having a birthday party upstairs.
The ceremonies are being held from 9th to 14th September at (where else?) University Cultural Centre. There are three ceremonies per day, at 10am, 3pm and 7.30pm.
So far I've gathered that my friends are scattered across several ceremonies. I'm quite disappointed that I won't be in the same ceremony as them. Guess I'll have to make do with the webcast. Why isn't like the movies, when everybody graduates together?
Anyway, here's the range:
Ceremony 11 (Thu, 3 pm) Class 2001 Arts Honours (e.g. Literature) YuehChin...
Amy (all by my lonesome self!)
Ceremony 13 (Fri, 10 am) Class 2001 Social Science Honours (e.g. Geography, Psychology) Rach,Jean,Serene...
Lee Eugene
Lee Shea Li
From: Yanshan
Sent: Thu, 20 Jun 2002 22:25:00 +0700
hihi dearie,
my work is getting really mundane and boring and i can stand at the recept to secrete calcium carbonate all the time.soon moss will grow and lichens will sprout. damn bored leh. i'm serving my last wk of imprisonment next wk and am thinking of changing dept. u think i shld request for transfer to the deli counter( like the name suggests..... it sells pastries and bread....the bread sucks but the cheese cake...yummy....melts in the mouth).
talking abt fd never fails to make me hungry. but i jus had the supposedly famous noodle for dinner.....and dats like 10pm now. oh well..yes late shift today coz there was a shortage of staff.
you'll rescue me right? in the exact same way they never did..
I'll be happy right? when your healing powers kick in
you'll complete me right? then my life can finally begin
I'll be worthy right? only when you realize the gem I am?
but this won't work now the way it once did
and I won't keep it up even though I would love to
once I know who I'm not then I'll know who I am
but I know I won't keep on playing the victim
these precious illusions in my head did not let me down when I was defenseless
and parting with them is like parting with invisible best friends
this ring will me yet as will you knight in shining armor
this pill will help me yet as will these boys gone through like water
but this won't work as well as the way it once did
cuz I want to decide between survival and bliss
and though I know who I'm not I still don't know who I am
but I know I won't keep on playing the victim
these precious illusions in my head did not let me down when I was a kid
and parting with them is like parting with a childhood best friend
I've spent so long firmly looking outside me
I've spent so much time living in survival mode posted 06:04
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Thursday, June 20, 2002
Sent: Fri, 07 Jun 2002 16:26:00 +0700
i'm going back to slack for a while before catching the argentina v england match.
oh yah, must also tell u this! i put on ALOT of weight!so much so that my colleagues(who apparently sees me almost every other day) says that i am now rounder both my face and my *horrified!* BODY!!!!aarhhH!HHH!HHH!! my fat body! terror terror terror!!!!panic siah. while i dig for my lost determination to exercise, i will still devour on the cheap(US$0.75) cheesecakes, choc cakes, chock twist and free chinese restaurant supper (illegal though). hiaks hiaks. dun be surprised to find an eddy murphy's sized yanshan in two mths time (cant remeber the show tittle where he became a fat man...issit nutty professor or something? oh heck!)
meanwhile, i'm having a boring time today. am being put on aft shift from 2pm to 11pm so i cant join my frens for dinner and outings. sian. both my frens are having fun now, one shopping and the other went out with a guy fren for dinner at seemingly Trader's hotel(d best hotel here...sorry, i'm not going to lie). and the fd at traders is so ex! at least US$2 more than those in sedona! i'm so jealous. poor me had to go out alone this mornign.
went to singapore embassy but security there is so tight that i din go beyond the front office. sickening. then i walked to a nearby
shopping area n spent 2000 kyats(approx $5 which is alot!) on Pokka drinks. time to pamper my frens and myself. and now i only have abt 1000kyats (aprrox $1.20) on me. so broke. got to change my currency soon...
ok lah, got to go back to boring staring into the space job again. will be off work in an hour's time. Yippee!!!!!
I'm back! I'm also still deluding myself by thinking that someone cares about this fact. :-)
Although I had a great 4 days, I'm completely exhausted now. I'm rather brain dead and I couldn't keep up my end of the conversation with Len today. Like Li-sa says in her blog, the hotel breakfasts make us wake up earlier than normal. I can't remember the last time I woke up at 8bloodya.m. just to go for breakfast.
Other than that, I vacationed with my 33 month-old niece and 9 month-old nephew, which explains why I'm so worn out. It was an endless cycle of feeding, diaper-changing and keeping a watch on them. If I ever get brood-y, or start listening to my biological clock, remind me of this vacation before I do something stupid.
Overall, the trip was fantastic. And I'm going to blog about it for the next couple of posts. So, if you want to avoid the sure-to-be-inanely-boring travelogue, just don't read my stuff for about a week or so. :) posted 07:15
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Monday, June 10, 2002
I'm going for a family vacation to Langkawi from tomorrow until Friday.
I'm pretending that somewhere out there people actually care about my whereabouts. Don't spoil my illusion. (",)
It'll be interesting to see how I cope without cable TV and my favourite shows. It's more interesting to see if my family can spend all this time together without anyone getting killed. Come to think from it, I might actually need a vacation to recover from this one!
An elderly man commited suicide by jumping off my apartment building this morning. Mum said she heard a 'loud thump' around 9 a.m., and when she looked out the window she could see the body lying face down. The police and media came round soon after, and when the corpse was taken away, we could see several mourning relatives.
Soon after, it started to rain. And rain. And rain. The first thing I thought of was: "At least this makes the cleaning up easier for the custodians tomorrow." Then I was reminded of a similar suicide, which occured when I was in primary school. It happened in the block opposite my house. She was wearing red. posted 06:07
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Today's a special day for me, having managed to keep my mid-year resolution for an entire year! I'm dead pleased with myself.
But now that I've done it, I'm figuring out what to do next. To carry on for another year or to just forget about it? Afterall, I have achieved my objectives. Hmmmnnn......
*5th of June.
FYI: The actual holiday of Cinco De Mayo, The Fifth Of May, commemorates the victory of the Mexicans over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. It is celebrated in the Mexican state capital city of Puebla and throughout the state of Puebla, but is also celebrated in other parts of the country and in U.S.cities with a significant Mexican population. It is not, as many people think, Mexico's Independence Day, which is actually September 16. posted 03:04
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Monday, June 03, 2002
From Yanshan:
Sent: Sat, 25 May 2002 09:00:33 +0700
Subject: HelloS!
this email addy is the biz centre and is shared not only by my frens and me but the entire hotel, including guests that needs to send mails. so got to keep the mails frivolous. read between the lines lah.
things are looking up here i suppose, like we are going out more often coz our frens from another company has a driver so they will pick us up for dinner. gd right. eh, know wat, i put on 2 kg already. yeah! but i am extremely unfit and damn lack of exercise lor! some more every other night, we get gd fd from the zhong1 can1 ting1 (chinese restaurant) coz the chef is fellow tong2 xiang1 (fellow countrymen ie. singaporean) who knows we are pretty much deprived of hao3 chi1 de (good food). i had chu2 shi1 ji2 de4 (of chef's professional std) supper lor, envious?? muahaha! nah, just kidding. my dad is lor. haha.
k lah, me got to go back to work. sneaking out to type this mail.basically i typed this for fang and since i have to speak in diff tounge
there are parts that u dun understand, go ask fang. dats y i dupliated this for u. not i bo sim (heartless or unsincere) ok.
I've just spent the entire afternoon doing a fantastic impersonation of a no-life geek otherwise known as Trekkie. (No offence to the real Trekkies out there.) I was just curious to know when ST:X was going to be released, but now I know more than I wanted to know. Freaky. Well, at least now I have more trivia so I can keep up with Tjin's arsenal. Heh!
I just edited the earlier entry, taking out the word 'daft' from in front of 'Wesley Crusher'. Like many others, I thought his character was a media-ploy and good waste of Federation space. Then I went to his website, and from what I saw, I think the poor guy deserves a break from all our criticism. posted 03:13
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Star Trek: Nemesis, the 10th Star Trek movie is scheduled for release on December 13th. The entire crew is onboard, with many cameos ranging from Wesley Crusher to Troi's mother. I'm sure Tjin shares my delight in knowing that Admiral Janeway will be reprising her role too.
Here's the official storyline:
On their way to celebrate the wedding of First Officer Will Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise crew are suddenly diverted for an unexpected diplomatic mission to the planet Romulus. Longtime enemies of the Federation, the Romulans have expressed their desire to initiate negotiations that will hopefully lead to a long-awaited unity in the galaxy. But upon their arrival on Romulus, the Enterprise crew is faced with a threat that could lead to the destruction of the planet Earth, and Picard comes face to face with a man who may prove to be his most dangerous adversary yet … and surprisingly personal nemesis.
So come December, it'll be a 3-corner fight between the Hobbits, Harry Potter and Jean-Luc Picard. posted 02:05
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Friday, May 24, 2002
Another mail from Yanshan:
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 7:01 PM
hihi. did u get my previous email? errr....i'm off duty now and next wk i will be rotated to the biz centre, i .e i will get access to email often. anyway, can u pass this mail to amy too and get her to email me coz i dun seem to be able to get her email correct. thanks.
how's life for u now? job hunting?i think i am too stupid and dun keng1 (eat snake) enuff and so i'm slogging pretty badly. one of my fren is so gd that she starts work at 10am when i have to drag myself out by 8am and we get off work at the same time. this sun is a PH but we wun be replaced with another day off...but apparently she managed to get hers. so lucky right?
sigh. y i so stupid? oh and she really resemble adeline and of course attracted many bees ard....one of them is the son of the ambassador to swizterland, steady right. me getting envious again. anyway, got to go now. hope to hear from u gals.
Sent: Monday, May 20, 2002 7:05 PM
Subject: Hi from myanmar
hey, how are u gals getting on.
work is damn jialat here, very restrictive like zuo4 lao3 (imprisoned) liddat. every night also kaopeh (complain) abt it. if u wonder y i m toking in hokkien, its coz it can be du1 (read) by others. other than that i am fine and stay in a very nice hotel rm.
got to run now. tata.
yanshan
(Translation added for non-Hokkien speakers, courtesy of Sufang) posted 07:18
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I spent the entire day reading random blogs. It started with one on the Blogger recommendation list and then dozens of links later I've read stuff ranging from mad English footballers to social immersion of Asians in America. It's been a horizon-widening, mind-expanding, eyes-opening kinda day.
But everyone, and I mean everyone is discussing Episode II. They basically say the same thing: the movie disappoints but Yoda ROCKS!!! Except for this guy, who had the most original opinions. He argues that the Empire was probably the best thing going for the galaxy. In fact, in the movie, Anakin sorts of explains this when he criticises the failure of the Senate and calls for someone to take over the whole thing. I'll try and include the actual quote when I go see the movie again.
Probably the greatest Jedi Knight of all. Like Obi Wan, you are wise and keep your feet on the ground at all times. You will not be outsmarted by anyone. You are always faithful to your friends. Be careful though, danger lurks around every corner - you could even be betrayed by those closest to you. posted 03:53
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Monday, May 20, 2002
In response to Sufang's query about the per minute cost of calling Yanshan:
Singtel IDD 001*:
Standard (7am - 8.59pm on weekdays): $1.70
Economy (9pm - 6.59am on weekdays): $1.70
Weekend (Saturday, 1pm - Monday, 6.59am): $1.70
*SingTel and M1 charge in 6 second blocks
**All day rates posted 02:47
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The other day, I tried to describe a particular hand-phone to Keemin and Tjin-Kai but I don't think they understood what I was trying to say. Anyway, here it is, the Nokia 8910, made of titanium, with bluetooth technology and most importantly... it does slide upwards! It wasn't just my imagination or fancy advertising gimick. posted 02:24
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Friday, May 17, 2002
Shan e-mailed me on Wednesday:
"it's very ex to call home as it's charged in us dollars. you can call me instead. the charges will be to you. you can call 95-1-XXXXXX and get operator to connect to room XXXX. i work from 10-7 singapore time and will go for dinner after that. so pls call me after that if u want."
(Edited for privacy. If u want the numbers, ask me personally.)
We can't e-mail her back because she used a colleague's e-mail account. However, you can always call her. And, if you feel like writing to her, let me know, so we can consolidate the mail. posted 05:38
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Tuesday, May 14, 2002
Last week I had more things to blog about than actual time to do so. Which is a good thing, as it indicates that I actually have a life! Which is more than I can say for this week. In fact, my calendar is pretty empty, save for several friends’ departure dates.
Speaking of which, Yanshan's in Myanmar now. Since she left on a Sunday morning, which was also Mothers’ Day, most people were either busy or couldn’t wake up on time. It’s a good thing that she managed to have mini-farewell parties with most of her friends before she left.
After seeing Yanshan off at the airport, Sufang and I hung out together. I think it’s the first time we've ever done this. Of course we've gone out together before, but it's usually as part of a group, never as a two-some. At the M1 shop in Bugis Junction, we found our ideal hand-phones . Hers was a multi-featured technological marvel (or as Tjin would say: "It also flies!"), whilst mine was a modest sms-friendly concoction, the Nokia 3315. Though we love these phones, neither of us plans to actually buy them. Though it would make a great birthday present...hint! hint!
Afterwards, I went home and spent the rest of the day reading. Unlike most of my friends, who had big plans, I didn’t do anything special for Mother’s Day. Both my sisters spent the day with their in-laws while my parents went on a date. I wonder if the same thing will happen on Father's Day? posted 03:12
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Was mindlessly surfing, when I found this CIA website on Singapore. Its not that interesting, and I didn't learn many new things, but I thought I would just mention it in my blog. posted 02:26
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Thursday, May 09, 2002
Quote of the Day coutesy of Zuke
"The only thing better than sex is chocolate;
And the only thing better than chocolate is sex with chocolate." posted 06:38
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Tuesday, May 07, 2002
Yanshan's leaving for Myanmar on Sunday, May 12. Yup, that's this Sunday, about 4 days away. Her Thai Airways flight leaves from Terminal 1 at 12.25 pm. Does anybody wish to see her off? Let me know, so I can arrange something.
She won't have internet acess over there, so no ICQ, e-mail or blogging. Since she's not bringing her hand-phone, no phonecalls or roaming SMS either. She says we can snail-mail her by sending our letters vis the hotel's courier service. Alternatively (but not recommended) we can call the main desk of the hotel and somehow hope that it'll get to her.
Her WorkAsia attachment lasts for 2 months, after which she's going to travel around Indochina for another month. She hasn't decided on a return date, but tentatively it'll be on August 13. posted 01:22
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Monday, May 06, 2002
More of what happened on Saturday...
I was having fun and completely lost track of time. Then Len said: "Whoa, I can smell the alcohol on your breath from over here!" "Crap!" I replied, "Can't go home like this." So, we decided to go for supper at NUH. On our walk there, we grumbled about how pedestrian-unfriendly the terrain was. There were no through-roads and way too many staircases that led nowhere.
Once there, I was surprised to see how crowded the emergency ward was, even though it was in the middle of the night. I hadn't realised that so many people fell sick or had accidents. Another unusual sight was the 7-11, which was CLOSED. Isn't it supposed to be open 24-7 everyday???
I really wanted to stay out all night, and I don't know why I left when I did. Its been too long since I had nocturnal adventures (for want of a better term). Ah well, perhaps I'll get to do that some other time. posted 07:22
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Just saw Spider-man with Tjin-Kai this afternoon. It rocks!!! This movie has excellent character development, cool graphics/animation and fantastic action sequences. The plot is well-paced and the many twists and turns are cleverly weaved together. Though I watched it for free (Tjin had GV movie vouchers), this is one of the rare movies that I would spend my last $8.50 on.
Despite my grand plans, the past week started off fairly boring, with me doing the usual things I do. Things only picked up mid-week, and to quote Kai “It never rains, it golden showers”.
On Wednesday, I found myself dragged to a family gathering, or as I like to call it ‘Death By Boredom’. To make things worse than they normally are, both my sisters didn’t turn up, so I was left with absolutely nobody to talk to. Well, I could have talked to my aunts and heard all about their various ailments OR conversed with my (much older) cousins and listen to them talk about house-wifely stuff. Yawn!!! But somehow I survived to tell the tale.
Which brings me to Thursday when I met YS for shopping and dinner at Bugis. We went to Fraiche (a Marche wannabe) for the first and hopefully last time. It had its charms but they were few and far between. Shopping with her was delightful, as always. I'm really going to miss her when she goes abroad. :`(
Actually, the highlight of the day happened earlier, with someone else. It was a disturbing experience, which left me upset and depressed all Friday. However, time heals all wounds and now I'm back to my chirpy self. I don't have time to tell the story now, but I'll do it soon.
Right now I'm hanging out in Len's room, sipping JD, surfing the net and trying to figure out what to blog about.
Think I'll start with how we got here. We were waiting for the shuttle bus at the OED bus-stop, expecting it to take forever (since its an off-peak period) when a taxi pulled up. "Odd place for a taxi to stop," said Len. It turns out that the passenger, an international student, needed directions to PGP. So, being a free-loader, I asked the driver if we could hitch a ride, afterall, we were headed for the same place. I was too shy to initiate a conversation with him (the passenger), and only enquired where he was headed to in PGP (thus I don't know his name, nationality or faculty). After escorting him to the check-in counter, Len and I went for dinner at the PGP canteen before heading back to Len's place.
Visiting Len is almost like a ritual, cos I find myself doing the exact same things (in the exact same order) I did the last time I was here. Which explains the JD, which I now like less than before. Ah well, perhaps I'm meant to be a teetotaller afterall. That should make a few people happy.
We just saw this incredibly hilarious short film: "Rainbow War". It was even nominated for the 1985 Oscars for "Best Live Action Short Film" Try to download it off his computer if you can, it's really something! posted 06:43
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It's been a while since I last blogged, so let's start with the obligatory quizzes. :-)
You are the beautiful and compassionate Queen. You are the epitomy of what every woman should be. You are confident, bold, aggressive, smart, womanly and feminine. You know the right thing to do and do it. You command respect and earn praise. You are moral and loving. In times of trouble, you draw strength from within, and are a source of strength for others.
You identify strongly with fantasy and royalty and are a deep and intelligent person. Idealistic and romantic, you tend to live in your own world, apart from the harsh realities of life & strive for the ideals and values that the once great royal hierarchy established. posted 05:27
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The following are the dates of certain folks' last exam:
27th April Tjin-Kai
30th April Leonard
2nd May Huayi
4th May Keemin & Yanshan & Jo
6th May Sufang
To all of you still mugging for your exams- HANG IN THERE! posted 04:36
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Thursday, April 25, 2002
'An exam is like sex, in more ways than one. They both involve steady periods of long hard work, building up to a wild, brief spurt at the end and a warm, somewhat pleasant (though spent) glow afterwards. Also, according to Amy, "if it's good, words are superfluous; if it's bad, the less said the better." And in both cases, it's always best if you know your stuff.'
(Reproduced, with permission, from Len's journal dated April 21st 11:58 pm.)
Here's a challenge for all of you. Think of other ways of how exams are like sex and leave your pearls of wisdom in my guestbook. The best analogy gets warm admiration from everybody else and the knowledge that you've squandered time better spent studying. :P posted 06:19
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Wednesday, April 24, 2002
Talking of dreams, I dreamt of Keemin and Tjin-Kai. The 3 of us were cruising around in Keemin’s BMW. I was in my usual position in the back-seat. However, the other 2 had swopped places. Tjin was driving, while Keemin was reclining in the passenger seat. In fact, Keemin’s seat was tilted so far back that every time I leaned forward, we would bump heads.
This dream was followed by similar car dream, except the driver and vehicle had changed. I think these 2 dreams were a sign that I should stop letting people ‘drive me around’ or ‘take me for a ride’. I should instead get behind the wheel and drive myself in the direction I want. In other words, a dream about empowerment. posted 05:38
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In ANR’s opening sequence, Capt. Willard is dreaming of the war: of napalmed jungles and helicopters flying around. As he wakes up from his nightmare the sound of the helicopters is replaced by the swoosh of the ceiling fan above his bed. But this sound is soon drowned out by the noise of an actual helicopter flying past his hotel room window.
After watching ANR, I actually dreamt about it. And when I awoke, I though I heard helicopters too. But when I was less groggy, I realized it was merely the sound of the construction going on beside my house. Damn, it could have been a dramatic event. But then again, nothing dramatic ever happens in this country. posted 05:38
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Seeing 'Apocalypse Now Redux' on the big screen (and with digital sound system) was amazing! I was constantly exposed to new nuances that I missed when viewing the movie at a lecture theatre or on a computer screen. Rumors have it that this movie will be screened here from August 22. Don’t miss it!
With the added footage, this movie is now 3 hours and 22 minutes long. But you’ll hardly feel it, cos it’s highly engrossing. The new scenes are fantastic. It answers a lot of ambiguity while provoking new questions. In one word, this movie classic is: pwhooaarrr! posted 05:31
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Yanshan and I went for our final dose of the Hepatitis B immunization today. Though it’s hard to imagine, our gung-ho, fearless YS is actually petrified of needles. In an attempt to soothe YS’s nerves, we had someone familiar give her the shots. Luckily, our favorite nurse, Auntie Jin was around. Not only did she administer the original blood test, but she has given us all 3 doses of the immunization.
The immunization is being conducted at the YIH clinic from 9am to 4.30pm from 22-26 April and 29 April-3 May. Remember to bring your IC, matric card and the immunization forms along. posted 05:30
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Wednesday, April 17, 2002
Spent yesterday babysitting an evil demon who's taken over the body of my sweet little niece. God! I can't wait until her Terrible 2's are over. Then there'll finally be peace in my house.
Coincidentally, while I was reading the Life! article on the pros and cons of having children, she was throwing one of her infamous temper tantrumps. If anything, this experience has reinforced my decision to get sterilised. Sorry PAP, I'm not going to submit myself to this kind of torture again. Children are evil! And then they turn into teenagers... shudder!!! posted 02:49
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Monday, April 15, 2002
Today I actually woke up at 8a.m. without any alarm clock (mechanical or human) waking me. Its quite a feat, since I've been waking up around noon lately. But today I got up so early cos I was supposed to meet Yanshan at 9.30a.m. to help her with her essay.
Since she was really sleepy, we went for coffee at UCC Dome. We waited and waited, but the outlet never opened. So, cutting our losses, we went to my 'secret' haunt: UniCafe. Located on the 6th floor of E2A, it used to be a small cafeteria selling humble, local fare, like what you'll find in the Arts Canteen's Breakfast stall. But it has since been renovated into an air-conditioned, 'Modern-Zen' furnished cafe selling a wide variety of consumables. I think its pretty great, given the price and the availability of LAN points everywhere. (Though Yanshan might tell you that the Nescafe here has no kick.)
Afterwards, we went to PGP to have lunch with Sufang and Huayi at Sufang's kittchen. We were having fun, until things took a turn for the worse, and the 3 of them turned into pest exterminators. I of course, was too squeamish to help, so I just stood by and watched (from a safe distance, of course). The story is way too gross for me to repeat, so you'll just have to ask these 3.
When Yanshan left for home to study for her test, the rest of us hung out at Huayi's room. I got caught up in girl-talk with Huayi, and only left around dinner time. (Sorry, Huayi, I should have left sooner and let you study. Apologies.)
The rest of the day was pretty eneventful, but who knows, it's still unfolding... posted 05:42
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You are Civilian Calvin! You don't get to travel much outside your neighborhood, but you still manage to get in plenty of trouble. When you're not acting up, you like to wax philosophical. Take the What Calvin are You? Quiz by contessina_2000@yahoo.com!
You are smart, you are known as Lil-Miss-Know-It-All..... But sometimes you could get pretty annoying
You're a deep thinker - most times logically. You're a bit of a neat freak and a wuss (hey, you do faint a lot!) but you do have the ability to overcome your fears and come out stronger in the end. And you never lose your head over things. (Gufaw gufaw!)
If I were a sappy movie ballad, I would be Iris from City of Angels
Hiding from people inside my own world because I "don't think that they'd understand," I believe I have only one true love which I'd "give up forever to touch." Unfortunately after touching this one true love, they forget to watch where they're going and smash into a truck.
I taste like Bread I am a staple in almost everyone's diet. Friends like me are a complement to any other friends I get on with almost everyone, remaining mostly in the background, but providing substance when it would otherwise be lacking. (If I was not bread, I'll be Tea)
I am a subtle flavour, quiet and polite, gentle, almost ambient. My presence in crowds will often go unnoticed. Best not to spill me on your clothes though, I can leave a nasty stain. What Flavour Are You?
Do you still recall the books "The Politically Correct Bedtime Stories" and "Once Upon A More Enlightened Time?"
These books re-tell fairytales in a politically correct style, where persons become persuns and women become womyn. And dwarves become vertically-challenged resource extraction industry persunnel.
Well, if you do remember and you liked them, you should get a kick out of "Frankly Scarlett, I DO Give a Damm", co-authored by Beverly West and Nancy Peske. They skilfully manipulate the endings of various tragic romances, from Romeo+Juliet to Casablanca and everything in between.
It shows that happy-ever-afters are possible when women are liberated feminists, and men are SNAGS. Of course it also helps that all the characters seem to be Oprah devotees who take Dr Phil's and Dr John Gray's advice to heart.
Really hilarious stuff, for those who enjoy a good parody. posted 03:56
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Thursday, April 11, 2002
Yesterday Keemin and I went to see luna-id's production of Naomi Wallace's One Flea Spare. (Here's another write-up on the play.)
Unfortunately, though I'm a former theatre-major, I can't provide a review for this play. I simply have no opinion on the various aspects of its staging. They were simply ho-hum/adequate but nothing in particular caught my eye. Perhaps Keemin will do a better job in his blog.
However, the play itself (themes, scenes, characterisation and dialogue) was amazing! It starts with a wonderfully shocking line: "What are you doing out of your grave?" and then moves on to tackle issues of class, status and society in the face of death.
It was thought-provoking and mind-blowing. This is one of those plays that stays with you even after you've left the theatre. There are several elements that etch themselves onto your brain. And even days afterwards, you might still be mulling over what you've seen and heard.
I would encourage the rest of you to go and see it too, but I know you're all busy. Leonard, if you ever have the time, you should read it. posted 02:58
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Tuesday, April 09, 2002
First of all, THANK YOU to all of you!
For signing my guestbook, for blogging about me, for your e-mails, icq messages and SMSs. For spending time with me, listening to me whinge and comforting me while I cry.
It has been a difficult time, but it would have been worse without all of YOUR love and support.
So, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Though I am still upset, I'm dealing with it and moving on.
(",)
-----
In the blink of an eye, its the final week of lessons for most of you.
Can you even recall the first lecture you went to? Or all the things that have happened since then?
All the best for your final exams. As we all know by now, it doesn't really matter whether we study. It only matters how well our 'smoke-machine' works on the actual day. :P
I would love to know when your papers are, especially the last one, so do tell!
Underneath Your Clothes
There's an endless story
There's the man I chose
There's my territory
And all the things I deserve
For being such a good girl honey
I have been single for a while now, except I didn't know about it.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I should try to tell this story chronologically.
Eugene and I have gotten back together. I've kept it a secret because I didn't want to jinx it. We've been in an 'undefined relationship' (his words) for 8 months now. Since our actions and feelings towards each other were similar to when we were full-fledged lovers, I foolishly believed that it would only be a matter of time before we made things official again.
Recently, I angered him and he refused to see me or to take my calls. I falsely attributed this silent treatment to one of his temper tantrums, so I left him alone to cool down before trying my luck again. He kept avoiding me and still I thought he was merely upset.
On Good Friday, he called to set the record straight. He has decided, after 4 years of being together, to end our relationship. There's no hope of reconciliation. There's no room for any negotiation or damage control because he already has a new girlfriend.
He waited this long to tell me because he wanted to give me time to grieve and get over my Gran. He assures me that he didn't two-time me. He's known Hazel since his freshmen year and has tried to join her in as many USP classes as possible. However, things only developed between them whilst we were estranged.
'i just wanted 2 say that hazel n i happened while we were not talking. l never 2 timed u. just hope u can forgive me for d empty promises n all i put u thru'. (Eugene's SMS)
I still love Eugene. I love him enough to value his happiness above all. I wanted to be the one to make him happy, but it appears that only Hazel can do this. I can't, in good conscience, stand in the way of his happiness. So I gave him my forgiveness, blessings and good wishes for his future.
I am sad. But that's my problem not his. posted 23:41
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I taste like Bread
