Missing You

2012-01-07T20:03:00.000Z

Remembering how we were all once so excited because Cathay Pacific served us ice cream on board..
SIA serves MAGNUM.

Screaming baby - more like 2 year old - behind me. She needs a good smack.

Guy infringing into my space cos he puts his arm on MY arm rest.

No Don 2 on Entertainment set.

Loved the SilverKris articles.. Eyes tired. Too lazy to read up for my meetings. And now I'm too sleepy.. Will leave it for tomorrow. Bet I'll wake up at like 5am anyway.

And just ate my cup noodle so my luggage has more space. Despite the fact that I finished that horrible tandoori chicken wrap at like 7pm Saudi time. It's like 11pm Saudi time now. I'm gonna grow fat.

A little worried about the meetings tomorrow. I hope I know enough...

2011-12-09T12:58:00.000Z

One Day.
Just watched 'One Day'.. and I feel so sad.
I don't think it was the love story behind it.. but every scene of Edinburgh, the university, Arthur's Seat and the view from up there, Princes Street made me remember how beautiful Edinburgh is and made me realize how much I've fallen in love with the city.
I don't know what it is about the city I love. I mean.. I hate the weather. And I was glad to come back because I missed everyone so much. But I just love it. Crossing South Bridge and peering over at Cowgate and wondering about how this multi-tiered city works. Sipping that rich hot chocolate at Chocolate Soup on wintry days, wintry nights.. Those cobbled pavements. Those buildings darkened with soot from the industrial age. The gloomy sky. Jogging around Arthur's seat. The beautiful swan lake. The gorgeous view from Calton's Hill. The windy secret paths that you somehow chance upon and never find again.
I thought 4 years in one city.. and I'll have had enough of it. But.. it's only been slightly more than a year and I keep thinking about it. I think.. Edinburgh will always have a special place in my heart.

2011-11-17T05:04:00.001Z

Sitting by the Singapore River, gazing at the Merlion, thinking how peaceful this scene was.
Then, decided to turn on the radio and a cheerful song came on, changing my mood completely...

Amazing what background music does to a still image.

2011-10-19T18:16:00.000+01:00

Just finished up some work and feeling kinda lazy to sleep...

What's on my mind now?
1. It's nice to be up alone on a rainy night. I never get this kind of peaceful times anymore. Not since a long time ago in Edinburgh with my Sushi takeaway in my cold cold room. Just me and my duvet.

2. I want to do something. It could be an exercise thing - going for yoga classes or dance classes (I think I'd like the idea of a dance class though I can't really dance) or kickboxing or whatever. But I don't think I'll be very motivated. Or it could be a learning thing - like learning Bahasa or Italian. If it's useful enough, I might push myself to do it. Or it could be a happy music thing - I want to go get me some scores and start building my dreams of being a freelance pianist. I'm not a great pianist but maybe if I master enough cheesy music, people might pay me a little to play that odd piece. What a wonderful thing it would be. Maybe it's not the cash that entices me. Maybe it's the feeling of being able to perform again. I'm not sure. It would be lovely if I could retire and live on playing the piano. I wouldn't mind playing the same pieces over and over again. Because I know for me, everytime I play... it's a different piece. Maybe I should get a new piano...

3. Old and boring. You leave the fun school no-responsibility life. And things happen throughout your life, the experiences add up, they scare you, they make you wary, and you become a cautious boring person, so afraid of doing things wrong you don't do anything at all. I feel that I'm becoming a boring person. Feel like you're not at liberty to do embarrassing things anymore. Feel like 'youth' is no longer an excuse for doing stupid things. Feel like the whole world is judging... because you're a responsible working adult now.

Wow. So much on my mind. No wonder I'm still awake.

2011-10-14T05:30:00.002+01:00

I've always been fascinated by India and China ever since a lecture I've had in Edinburgh.Can't remember who it was, or which module it was for. But it was an interesting paper.

Two emerging countries, huge in land mass and population. Usually conflated in discussions. Usually known for its low labour costs, and its burgeoning potential. But so different. In terms of development, of strengths. The question that the lecture inspired in me was: Why is India not as prominent in the global scene as China?

People talk of China as the next rising superpower, of its competition to US. But not India.
India has its strengths. Its people. Its English proficiency. Its amazing IT sector. Its British colonial legacy making it less hard (arguably, compared to China) to work with the West. But.. no, it's China people talk about. Why?

Saw this article on the Economist: Chasing the Dragon, which reinforced this thought. That China is advancing much more rapidly. Is it because China had a headstart? But isn't it begging the question? Why did China have a headstart? Is it the workings of one man (Deng Xiao Ping?)? Will India ever catch up?

This figure shows how far behind India is based on some criteria of development.

PS Just wondering if the title 'Chasing the Dragon' is coincidental, or if it has an intentional allusion to the practice of inhaling opium (very Chinese!). Hm.

2011-09-18T08:55:00.000+01:00

Mm.. I should not try to have unhappy posts.
Think about it this way...

By turning to this blog only as a way of venting my frustrations, I will end up documenting all my sad or angry moments, while the happy moments turn to dust.
I don't want to look back and see a backlog of sad posts.

Perhaps I could write down my frustrations in temporary documents, and jot down my happy moments on a more permanent platform. Then one day... when I'm old, I can read my memories.. with the sad ones faded to an illegible blur and the happy ones etched forever :)

Stay optimistic! Think happy thoughts!

2011-09-11T16:12:00.000+01:00

There was a period when I was obsessed with taking photos.
I wanted to capture everything in my life, because I had a poor memory, and because there were so many beautiful memories I wanted to capture before they fade away.

And then... I'm not sure when... I stopped.
It might be when professional photography became the norm. And my silly photos - blurry, low resolution, with a hand cut off and a leg missing, with no concept of composition or colour or lighting, just a simple photo to trigger my memory - my silly photos just became quite inadequate.
It might be when things got a lot tougher... when there weren't quite so many beautiful memories I needed to capture... when in fact there are so many memories I wish I could delete.

It feels kinda sad. But I don't know why. It's just... not the same anymore.

2011-08-21T04:53:00.000+01:00

Reading all the lovely food posts (or more like, salivating at the pictures) on Nurul's blog :)
You can read it too here: http://nurulsnomnoms.wordpress.com/

She told me about how she was going to do a picture a day.. to mark her year. And I wanted to do it too. Sort of a visual memory to my year. Because time flies. And memories fade. But somehow I didn't get into the habit and I haven't had a single picture yet. Maybe I'm a procrastinator :) Maybe I should just collect a picture a week of something that has inspired me that week. And by the end of a year, I'll have 52 pictures of inspiring moments... Hmm... I really want something to keep track of the time.. Wouldn't want to realise 5 years down the road that I have no clue what I did in the past 5 years... That will be one scary moment o.0

2011-06-17T07:54:00.000+01:00

On Hangover II,

Roger Ebert noted that much of the film "plays like an anti-travelogue paid for by a rival tourist destination—Singapore, maybe.

Wall Street Journal Article, James Hookway
One Night in Bangkok Can Lead to Quite a Hangover for Thailand

Libel? Lol.

2011-06-14T04:54:00.000+01:00

But it is an attribute of the Internet to activate in me, and maybe in all its users, a persistent sense of deferred expectancy, as if that thing that I might be looking for, that I couldn’t name but would know if I saw, were at every moment a finger tap away.

Sven Birkerts

That explains the hours of staring at a digital screen, waiting for that moment of enlightenment.

2011-05-31T10:13:00.003+01:00

There’s so many things that pop up in my head once in a while. Things that I want to share. Or just things that I want to jot down so when I have a bit of free time I could refer back and think about them. And then... when I actually get down to a word processor, they flee. Those thoughts...

Haven’t been able to focus lately...

2011-05-11T06:04:00.000+01:00

Reading something on Asian-Americans on New York Magazine...
I think one line sums it up:

It is a part of the bitter undercurrent of Asian-American life that meritocracy comes to an abrupt end after graduation.

2011-04-23T15:38:00.000+01:00

Giving presentations...
Tell yourself you're the expert in what you're presenting
That you know your material best

*Crosses fingers*

2011-04-10T15:19:00.001+01:00

Thinking back...
Why is it that everyone only remembers all your bads but forget all your goods?
We live in an unforgiving world.

2011-04-10T08:01:00.001+01:00

Wonder why I go home sometimes.

2011-04-03T08:34:00.000+01:00

It's so hard to live up to expectations.
Why do we all set expectations for the people around us?

2011-03-30T17:17:00.000+01:00

Stepped out and felt the cool breeze on my face and suddenly, everything was all right.
The breeze was only as fresh as city air could ever be, and the surroundings as tranquil as a motor road could ever be. But somehow, that made everything that went wrong go right again.

How strange.

2011-03-25T15:38:00.000Z

Sometimes there are thoughts that I want to pen down...
But I'm in the midst of eating, or talking, or walking, or working, or playing, and I think: I'll just pen it down later.

Then, it's times like this that I stare at the screen and wonder: What was it?

2011-03-21T11:13:00.002Z

I don't like to send emails
Cos they make you sound angsty even when you're not.
And when you're truly feeling angsty... It just makes things worse.

I wish I had never embarked on the project.

2011-03-20T14:57:00.000Z

Been feeling really fat.

At Zouk. All those scantily-clad, skinny girls. There were so many of them. Heavily made-up with heels to kill. Where did they all come from?

At the cheerleading competition today. All those girls with abs. Felt kinda surreal. Surely normal girls don't have muscles like that.

Really feel like doing something about my fats. Ugh.

2011-03-19T19:18:00.001Z

Miss student life so much.

2011-03-13T17:38:00.000Z

Trying to get myself away from Facebook so I won't say anything I regret. But this is a really trying time for me. I want to scream out to everyone but we live in a world where complaining isn't allowed. I just wish I could sleep. I'm so tired. I really am.

2011-02-28T01:16:00.000Z

D&D was a blast!

Norman's a cool geek.

Jialin's a part-time goth make-up artist.

Lionel's a closet crazy dancer.

Shivya's an emo 'part of the Addam's family'.

And Shirley is a wacky merlion.

None of it made sense, but that's what so awesome about it. Hur hur.

2011-02-09T07:12:00.000Z

Met a fortune-teller today.

He told me
That I was a happy person.
That I like new things.
That I have no stamina.
That I was going to get married at twenty...five
(although I have many choices)
That I have many skills and many interests so I need to focus on developing just one.
That my thoughts tend to wander...
(That I have too many thoughts)
And I just really need to focus

Focus, focus, focus.

2011-02-08T04:08:00.003Z

"It's today!" said Piglet.
"My favorite day," said Pooh.

(Taken from here)

2011-01-23T15:18:00.000Z

I really like reading abt the latest studies...

Reading abt how since bored drivers are 1.5 times as likely to get into an accident as engaged drivers, researchers suggest making roads more challenging to 'increase driver's focus'
Reading abt how those who walk faster were 90% more likely to live at least 10 years more.

Aren't research findings pretty incredible sometimes?

2011-01-23T09:50:00.000Z

89.7% of peoPle in the US describe their diet as healthy. Close to two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese.

Taken from Time mag, 17 Jan issue, pg 9.

(I should really do something abt my referencing methods)

2011-01-23T03:50:00.001Z

To quote Richard Stengal in the 24th Jan issue of Newsweek,
"Mere advocacy" of any doctrine, however violent, does not violate the First Amendment. And that makes sense. Words don't kill people; guns do. In an open and free society, we don't police speech, but we do police those who violate the law by committing violent acts.

Hm seems to make sense, but doesn't seem to be an accurate portrayal of the US.

2011-01-21T03:09:00.000Z

Back to the Spain trip with the girls...
So.. Spain is populated with architectural legacies by Gaudi. I think this might be Casa Battlo but I honestly can't remember. It's been half a year ago...

But I know this is the Sagrada Familia (although a pretty ugly picture of it)

The next day, we went to Plaza Catalunya to catch the hop-on bus, which was a walking distance away from our accom! This time, we walked in the right direction (with the help of the map).

And... I thought it was interesting that people were all playing chess there. Sort of reminiscent of the Singapore Ah Peks playing Chinese Chess at random stone tables at the parks. Sort of.

Didn't manage to capture ANY nice photos of Mont Juic. Mainly cos my camera has terrible zooming function. And cos I refused to stand up on the hop-on bus being comfortably seated. Very, I might add. And cos there were a million other tourists standing up in front of me and blocking my view. I had quite a sharp photo but someone's blue-and-white striped SLEEVE was in it. But the view was gorgeous from up there, and unlike the last time I went, we didn't have to walk all the way down after taking the funicular up. I think we went to Port Olimpic after that - but I'm not about to bet on it.

It was unbelieavably gorgeous. And my camera REALLY doesn't do it credit. It does help that the rain stopped. But here goes: The unfortunate red thing at the side is the bus. Yes I took ALL my pictures from the bus. Lazy me.

We went to Barri Gotic after but I only have like one picture of it. It was like walking into the past, the narrow cobbled pavements, the archaic sculptures... and yes the rain made it rather atmospheric. Does the arch not remind you of the Bridge of Sighs at Cambridge?

I despair of ever finishing my trip in Spain, but since this day in Barcelona has ended. I will end my post.

2011-01-20T08:57:00.000Z

Haven't been sleeping well.
Waking up at weird times and just feeling really tired when I wake up.

Plus, I had this horrifying dream that
I accidentally killed my sis, and everyone was chasing me. And I had to escape via a window. Full of running and adrenaline. Hiding at the corners, trying not to be spotted, paranoid that someone's gonna suddenly pop up and catch me. And I bumped into a friend who asked me to join in a game. And I had to pretend I wasn't running away from something, while looking over my shoulders to make sure my pursuers haven't caught up.

I was glad when I woke up. It was a dream with an overwhelming sense of doom, the feeling that everything is going wrong, and is going to get worse, and the whole world.. the whole wide world is crashing down on you.. the feeling that nothing is ever going to be right again. And that maybe it's easier if you just let yourself get caught, face whatever punishment and get it over with.

2011-01-19T02:33:00.001Z

Fear no more the heat o' the sun,

Nor the furious winter's rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages;
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.

Fear no more the frown o' the great;
Thou art past the tyrant's stroke:
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak:
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this, and come to dust.

Fear no more the lightning-flash,
Nor the all-dreaded thunder-stone;
Fear not slander, censure rash;
Thou hast finished joy and moan;
All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee, and come to dust.

   No exorciser harm thee!
   Nor no witchcraft charm thee!
   Ghost unlaid forbear thee!
   Nothing ill come near thee!
   Quiet consummation have;
   And renownéd be thy grave!

- William Shakespeare

2011-01-18T04:03:00.000Z

My mood varies with the weather.
It's so much easier to feel happy when the sun is shining down on you, and everything is a bright cheerful yellow, and the water glistens, and the leaves of the tree gleams green, and everyone's not obscured by umbrellas and shadows, and you can actually look up from your feet without raindrops in your eyes to look at the world around you :)

2011-01-17T01:21:00.002Z

Blogs are for happy days.
Why spread the misery?

2011-01-12T13:19:00.000Z

It's a new year!
New year. New hopes. New resolutions. New dreams. New desires. New life. Fresh thoughts. New beginning. Clean slate. Bright ideas.

The new year came
And somehow it doesn't feel any different.
Hmm..

2011-01-04T04:39:00.008Z

Loves going to work at 9.15am.
Cos I get to see this troop of little kids skipping happily along the road, hand in hand, always in pairs, but seldom a congruent pair. Sometimes a bouncy little kid eager to run ahead, slowed down by his partner timid, frightened, reluctant to push on..
Truly the most adorable bunch.

2010-12-21T03:24:00.002Z

Reese's Clusters
Makes me feel like I'm eating fats
Pure unadulterated fats

2010-12-18T12:45:00.000Z

At Junction 8 watching a group of about 50 middle-aged? old? ladies and gentlemen line-dancing to Mexican songs! They must be one of the most enthusiastic groups of public dancers I've seen :) I want to be like them when I'm old.. Don't lose that passion :)

2010-12-03T07:03:00.000Z

Saw this at paperexploits.wordpress.com

The lady made these from scratch herself, and she runs a handmade-stationery/card/envelopes(and so on) blogshop. Some of the items are really gorgeous (like the strawberry boxes above)

Was thinking... if I had $10,000 I could start a blog shop selling handmade cards and paraphernalia (whatever that word means). I'll have fun, but I wonder if anyone will buy from me. Hahahahahahaha.

2010-12-03T06:07:00.000Z

Saw a little girl
Looking around as though she was
Master of the World.

Is this... a haiku?
Hmmmmmmm

2010-12-01T15:33:00.000Z

Riverdance.

Energetic. Uplifting. Breathtaking. Awesome. Stunning. Funny. Engaging. Touching. Lively. Impressive. Nostalgic.

The funny percussionist who played the gongs and the toms and the drumset and the gazillion percussion instruments and who looked like my irish lecturer who taught realism in international relations, sean molloy.

The feet of the lead dancer which moved so fast they were a blur yet so rhythmic and so precise

The saxophonist who never seemed to breathe and who had a lovely classical tone except that lovely jazzy part straight after interval

The showy violinist who seemed to be doing pizzicato and bowing all at the same time while striding quickly to and fro the stage and ending every section with a great flourish of her bow

The blonde singer who sang with (to quote a friend) a celestial voice and looked like she stepped out of a dream to render a moving version of 'a heart's cry'

The lead dancers spinning wildly on the stage
The girls who leapt up like they don't weigh anything and landed ever so gently on their stockinged feet

The black singer who stepped out in his Irish working class outfit and sang with a very English accent

The two lovely dancers taking an impromptu stance on Irish tap dancing - and the faceoff they had with the Irish tap dancers taking a very Catholic stance towards tap dancing

These were my impressions.
Wish I could go again :)

2010-11-26T04:10:00.000Z

Walking home in the rain after work yesterday...
Waiting for the traffic light to turn green, with my feet getting wet.
Then I noticed - perched on top of (something.the signal box?a mail box?) was a little replica of the Eiffel Tower.
You know, the kind every street peddler sell along the streets of Paris.

Reminds me of the days I spend in Edinburgh, braving the persistent drizzle and the blustery winds that threaten to upturn my umbrella, feet perpetually wet and soggy and wrinkly. Staring down at the pavement as I walked to the MRT.. I could believe that I was in London.

2010-11-19T06:25:00.000Z

it's ridiculous how i feel ashamed of my blog now.

how it has no comments function. or share function. or subscribe function. how the font is tiny. how the archives is not user-friendly. how my image is outdated. or my posts. or my links. how it doesn't incorporate SEO templates. how unprofessional it is.

i'm not a professional blogger.

2010-11-16T15:15:00.000Z

Got me thinking about my blog.

My work at New Media introduced me to the world of social media marketing, something that (I admit) is totally new to me. It led me to start reading books on social media, word of mouth marketing and so on. And I keep reading about blogs, how to make full use of it, how to market it, how to gain visibility, to engage with your users through quick response (you get the idea). And all these readings made me realise how unfriendly my blog is. And got me thinking why I have this blog in the first place.

Today, at lunch, a colleague mentioned how outdated my posts were. I began this blog to update my friends and family on my life in Scotland but how relevant is this now? Now that I'm back in Singapore, who reads this anymore? Other than qy haha :) Plus this is not even a chronological update of my life. Especially since just a few months ago, I was blogging about my trip to Manchester 4 years ago. Haha! A bit random.

Maybe it's just a place for me to write. Like a journal of sorts. But then I should probably make it private. I guess I must want people to read this. This is confusing. I did.. entertain the thought of trying to make a 'successful' blog! Haha! To try out all these tips and theories that I've been reading. But I think it'll take quite a lot of energy to maintain. I shall go get my smartphone first!

*confused*

2010-11-16T10:08:00.001Z

Sitting at Mos Burger, drinking iced milk tea.
Bobbles and snowflakes dangling above my head.
Listening to 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas~'
Somehow it feels so blissful. Maybe a little nostalgic.
It's strange how that song has such a big impact on me.
Wondering why...

2010-11-14T16:59:00.000Z

Shopping at Cotton On at Novena Square last Saturday.

Had a 30% discount voucher so went a little mad. But there were lots of things I didn't buy. Anyway, point is, when I paid, I realised that the 2 for $30 T-shirts were actually cheaper without the 30% discount. Because how the cashier did it was to change the T-shirt price to the original, which was $24.95, then deduct 30%, so I ended up paying $35 for the 2 for $30 shirts. Obviously, I went back to the cashier and asked her nicely if I can take out these 2 shirts and then pay for them separately (i.e. pay $30 and not use the 30% for the 2 items). At first, she said no. Then later, she said 'Refund? Ok, wait.' *calls someone else* So, this guy came. And we repeated the story to him. Then he was like 'No la, you use the discount, definitely cheaper than without'. So I counted for him. And he didn't believe me. So he took out his calculator and said:

'If you use the discount *punches in $24.95, multiplied it by 2, stared at me for a while and the number $49.90, then clear the memory*' he continues 'if you use the discount' *repeats above procedure but somehow manages to do the 70% of $49.90 part* He repeats 'so if you use the discount you get this number (which was around $35 as I have previously counted for him). 'Then' he continues 'if you pay the promotional price for the 2 for $30 shirts, you have to pay...' *punches in $24.95 multiply by 2 for the third time in his speech, stares at the number*

I interrupted him of course and said 'If I buy the 2 for $30 shirts, I pay $30, right?'

He ignores me and continues punching numbers in his calculator.
Uh. Since when do 2-for-$30 shirts not cost $30?!
Thankfully, in the end, he decided to trust my maths, and refunded everything for me.
It was hilarious.

2010-11-14T16:47:00.000Z

I should really continue my entry on Spain but... it involves a lot of thinking and recalling HAHA.
Well anyway, random shots from around Singapore :)

Shot 1: Chopin at the Singapore Botanic Garden. Was there to catch Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest. The weather was lovely and cool. Pity I went unprepared with nothing but a picnic mat. Had to stare longingly at the spread of food and drinks all around me...

Shot 2: My first trip to the railway station (after telling millions of visitors how to get there). So cool! Doesn't feel like Singapore at all. Makes me wanna take a train for the fun of it (And that is after telling millions of tourists that they might as well take a bus to KL since it's less hassle and takes a shorter time).

Shot 3: CLONE WARS!

Shot 4: Tourists at Jellights. My only glimpse of the iLight Marina Bay installations :( I need to get rid of this bad habit. Of not going for things though I wanted to cos I couldn't find anyone to go with. I shall just MAKE time and just go for it by myself. I will. New new year resolution!

Shot 5: My mommy's birthday presents. Pink and brown theme this year! (Of course, I wrapped them all.)

Shot 6: Ochado pop egg milk tea. I love popping those pop eggs. (wish they had a nicer name though) And the tea is just as good as Koi. The price too. The location is a bit... It's at Chong Pang. Haha.

Shot 7: Haha. I'm obsessed.

Shot 8: My office table mess.

Hmm. Oh well. Was going to upload one more. But I think my laptop's protesting. So tada.
End of random post.

2010-11-11T03:43:00.000Z

'Stop thinking', she said. 'The more you think, the faster you cut your own throat. What is there to think about? It always ends up the same way. In your mind there is a bolted door. You have to work hard not to go near that door. Parties, lovers, career, charity, babies, who cares what it is, so long as you avoid the door. There are times, when I am on my own, fixing a drink, walking upstairs, when I see the door waiting for me. I have to stop myself pulling the bolt and turning the handle. Why? On the other side of the door is a mirror, and I will have to see myself. I'm not afraid of what I am. I'm afraid I will see what I am not.'

[Jeanette Winterson]

Sometimes I find quotes that mean so much to me at some point of my life.

Sometimes, they stay relevant. Sometimes, the words stay the same, but the meaning grows distant.
I need to revive my book of quotes.

2010-11-08T15:39:00.000Z

So anyway, back to the FOOD folder.
Amusingly, Foodie 5 in my previous post isn't a pizza at all. It's the Fried Chicken Strips starter from Domino Pizza. The real pizza is hiding behind the chicken strips box. Look carefully.

So anyway - again- this post is about my attempt at truffle-making.
As usual, I have NO idea where I got the recipe from. And I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert at truffle-making. This post definitely is not going to pretend to be a recipe.

Truffle-making...
Step 1: Boil some water, and draw a heart from the bubbles at the bottom of the pot.

Step 2: While the water is boiling, chop up beautiful blocks of chocolate.

Step 3: Put the finely chopped chocolate in a bowl and put the bowl into the boiling water. Hot water bath. Stir gently throughout. This is when your room smells divine. In case you're wondering, the bowl doesn't actually say 'lakes' - I know it looks like it, but it actually says 'Cow makes milk'. It does.

Step 4: Rescue the melted chocolate from the water bath. (This is where it gets a bit vague) Put in some ingredients, like vanilla essence, butter and stuff, and stir gently into the cooling bowl of chocolate. This is false. Because I clearly remember melting the butter and mixing the vanilla in a pan over the hob. But anyway, let us proceed. When we're happy, we put the bowl into the fridge, taking it out to stir every... (now there is some complicated instructions involved here, like for the first hour every 20 mins, then for the next half hour every 10 mins, or something like that - all I recall doing is noting down the time, then calculating the times when I have to go open the fridge and stir the mixture). So, anyway, u get a hardening ganache. It's NOT supposed to be grainy. One of my batches turned out weird.

Step 5: When the ganache turns reasonably hard i.e. they stay in shape, roll them into little balls. My first attempt took the instructions quite literally. I put a spoonful of ganache on my hand and rolled and got ... messy hands. Thing is... ganache is still pretty soft and melts at low temperature. So I just used a cooled spoon to nudge them into shape and plop them on a piece of baking paper. These are... artistic spheres.

Step 6: Put the ganache into the fridge to harden again, in preparation for their ordeal later. Make melted chocolate again - step 1 to step 3. Don't mix any weird stuff in it this time. Just take it off the hob to cool till it's like still liquid but not so hot. This potentially requires a thermometer to judge the correct timing to do it properly but I didn't have a thermometer so... when it looks kinda okay, and the ganache in the fridge is solid hard, spear the ganache quickly and dip it quickly in the melted chocolate and rescue it before the ganache dissolves in the chocolate. This is tricky I know. Cos imagine... if the ganache can melt in your hands, they MELT in the melting chocolate real fast. Then quickly plop the coated ganache onto baking paper and shove it back in the fridge.

Step 7: Look at them cool. Oh yes. I sprinkled some cocoa powder (or maybe icing sugar - forgot which) for some colour.

Step 8: EAT.

Thin chocolate crust with soft ganache that melts instantaneously. Mmmm.

2010-11-08T15:09:00.000Z

I really shouldn't be doing this when my laptop is so laggy.
In fact, I should be busy backing up all my files right now. But just as I was done with the first picture folder, I discovered the FOOD folder, and I don't think I've uploaded that before. So here goes :)

Foodie 1: Aubergines is my greatest love. Fried with sambal chilli and minced pork (which, due to its exceedingly low price, has become my staple meat in the UK).

Foodie 2: Black pepper beef noodles. This is very yummy too. Freshly ground black pepper. Some mysterious combination of black colour sauces like oyster sauce.

Foodie 3: Chicken fillet wrapped in Bacon for that juicy fattiness, and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Served with a few healthy slices of tomato. For no reason other than making me feel healthy.

Foodie 4: Dumplings. This deceptively simple looking piece of dough takes AGES to make, and mini-seconds to eat. The filling is awesomely yummy. Found an awesome recipe but forgot where. Something to do with chives, and rice wine, and soy sauce, sesame oil and the omnipresent minced pork. The dough is simply cold water plus flour. I tend to like my dumplings fried but then it was ultra messy and disastrous, since the dough skin simply split. After that experiment, I prefer to simply boil them. The tasty filling makes up for the blandness of boiled food.

Foodie 5: Domino pizza. My staple food during exam period, dissertation period, lazy periods :D Not Domino specifically, cos I'm partial towards Papa Johns too. Whoever has the better offer I guess. Marmaris does an awesome chicken and mushroom (not chicken and ham. can you believe i walked into a halal shop and asked for chicken and ham twice when it said very clearly 'chicken and mushroom' on the menu! *slaps* who does chicken and ham pizzas anyway) pizza. The-shop-on-Nicolson-Square-which-I-conveniently-forgot-the-name-of does an amazing forgot-the-name-of-the-pizza-too (what on earth x.x). Some minced lamb with chilli and onion and spice pizza. I've even done the pizza buffet at Pizza Hut on North Bridge. Not to mention Pizza Express, both the one at North Bridge and the one near Arthur's Seat. I've even tried... Tesco pizza. So there.

I have pictures of one more food in my FOOD folder. But I think they deserve a post of their own. So that's all for food now :)

2010-11-07T07:01:00.000Z

Finally, on Spain... my last Europe trip with friends :)
Disclaimer: This post is not about the attractions of Spain. It doesn't even come close.

Flying from Edinburgh to Barcelona Girona Airport, then taking the expensive airport shuttle bus (the only option available) to Barcelona Nord Bus Station. It was a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the blue, blue sky.

We got to our accomodation via the metro, then settled down for the night. The next day, we headed out to sightsee but got a bit lost. But we caught sight of a beautiful building. Dunno what it was, but it made the extra miles worth walking.

And (fortunately we took the wrong path) for what did we discover but a famous chocolateria, Escriba <3 The hot chocolate was heavenly. I had the hot chocolate with chilli. Mmmmm.

I took more photos on this detour than I did on our actual stay in Barcelona o.0 I couldn't resist. Check out this graffiti.

The next thing that caught my (camera's) attention was this sign warning vehicles that this was a school zone and to look out for children. Why are the children on the sign running as though they were escaping from something deadly? Says something about Spanish schools, doesn't it?

For our first main meal in Spain, I went for... the Hog Roast Burger at Hard Rock Cafe on Plaza Catalunia. Don't ask.

My first attraction photo coming up! Guess where we went! FC Barcelona at Camp Nou. It was drizzling the whole time.

I stood at where I think they do interviews and stuff and took a photo (with my umbrella so I can remember the dismal weather o.o)

Their museum is definitely one of the most artistic football museums I've ever been to (the rest being only Old Trafford and Anfield).

I also sat in the commentator's box and tried screaming out stuff (without trying to embarrass my friends too much).

Check out their cool lamp-post. It's a football! (and Blogger is refusing to let me upload any more images)

Maybe it's a sign. That I should go do other stuff. Instead of blogging. Though I'm not done with Barcelona. I haven't even come to... the main stuff like Sagrada Familia.

2010-11-07T03:41:00.000Z

I have lived in Singapore for around two decades, but I'm still experiencing 'first's.

Could you guess what this is? Haha.

Artists creating the new exhibitions for the walkway from Citylink Mall towards the Esplanade :)
I've always seen the exhibitions but strangely enough, I never saw them being taken down and put up.
Well, there's always a first for everything :)

2010-11-03T03:30:00.001Z

I'm listening to Ryan Shupe's Dream Big

When you cry, be sure to dry your eyes,
'Cause better days are sure to come.
And when you smile, be sure to smile wide,
And don't let them know that they have won.
And when you walk, walk with pride,
And don't show the hurt inside,
Because the pain will soon be gone.

And when you dream, dream big,
As big as the ocean, blue.
'Cause when you dream it might come true.
But when you dream, dream big.

And when you laugh, be sure to laugh out loud,
'Cause it will carry all your cares away.
And when you see, see the beauty all around and in yourself,
And it will help you feel okay.
And when you pray, pray for strength to help to carry on,
But when the troubles come your way.

And when you dream, dream big,
As big as the ocean, blue.
'Cause when you dream it might come true.
But when you dream, dream big.

When you cry be sure to dry your eyes,
cause better days are sure to come.
And when you smile be sure to smile wide, and
don't let them know that they have won.
And when you laugh be sure to laugh out loud,
'Cause it will carry all your cares away.
And when you see, see the beauty all
around and in yourself, and it will help you feel okay.
And when you pray, pray for strength to
help to carry on when the troubles come your way.

:)

2010-11-01T02:20:00.000Z

OMG.
So irritated with myself.
Saw a book the other day. Can't remember the title. Can't remember the author's name x.x

But I was really inspired. It was written by a lady (I vaguely recall) who started jotting down little things that made her smile, or made her happy, in a little notebook. She collected them for like six years and published the collected words as a stream of consciousness chain (or however you describe it).
So anyway, I wanted to do the same.
But I'm annoyed I can't remember her name. Or the book's name! Grrrrr...

2010-10-26T11:27:00.000+01:00

Taken from http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/funniest-holiday-complaints-revealed/story-e6frfq80-1225943163031

An Australian news article about the 'Funniest holiday complaints'

Travellers' Complaints

1. Lack of kangaroos hopping in Sydney city

2. Too many tourists in Europe in summer and not enough English-speaking people

3. Too cold to ski in Japan during winter

4. Too hot in Singapore

5. Too many children in Fiji during school holidays (although visitor brought her own kids)

6. $20 Gucci handbag bought in China is not real!!! (duh.)

7. Greece's beaches had stones

8. Emirates' airplane seats too comfortable - put visitor to sleep when he wanted to stay awake

9. There are fish in the sea! (duh.)

10. *drinks from gravy boat* Soup is too thick.

11. Hotel made me pregnant

12. Too many Spanish people in Spain

13. Too much curry served in restaurants in India

Travellers' Demands

1. Chaperone for a group of sex addicts

2. Menu of only blue food

3. Bed for dog

4. Request for hotel staff to put a stop to the rain

5. Request for staff to tape up window to prevent sunlight from shining through

6. Stop aircon from making weird noises *Electric toothbrush in suitcase buzzes and pretends to be the aircon*

6. Borrow hotel staff's shoes

7. Use hotel staff's car

8. Request hotel staff to drive them to a shop

9. Request to marry staff's daughter x.x

LOL.

At the expense of leaving work late, I have to put this article down before I forget.

Tourists these days...

2010-10-25T09:35:00.000+01:00

Yay I have some more photos, which I finally uploaded :)
BUT I'm a bit lazy, so I'm going to sort through the smallest folder first, which chronicles my last few days in Europe :(

Snapshot 1: Random advertisement I saw on the bus (from Edinburgh) to London Victoria coach station... (and sign-writing too. haha. it says)

Snapshot 2: Tan-tan mee at a small noodle bar in London Chinatown. It tastes horrible. Can't remember why I wanted to try it. But I think the restaurant I wanted to go to was too packed (for good reason) and because we have been eating duck rice in London for the past 2 days.

Snapshot 3: Mommy and I in Europe because it's my graduation! Looking very young :)

Snapshot 4: Mommy and Sis on the Hop-on Bus in London! Yeah, it's not Paris, cos I cleverly took the sign behind that says 'Trocadero London'. HAHA.

Snapshot 5: Mommy and I at 54 Farringdon, apparently relatively famous Malaysian restaurant in London. The food wasn't too bad. The sorbet was quite exciting - Cempedak, Durian and Lychee, but too sweet for my liking. And when I say too sweet, it REALLY is too sweet.

Snapshot 6: JUST so that I have at least 1 photo of an attraction we saw. We were on the Hop-on bus in Paris and we saw the Eiffel Tower. Not that we didn't go to the Eiffel Tower, and not that we didn't take a photo there together, just that, my sis has a more pro camera, so I can't really be bothered to take :)

Snapshot 7: Mommy and I on our umpteenth bus ride to Livingstone designer outlet. When 3 girls get together, all they can think about is shop, shop and shop!

Snapshot 8: This is what happens to white trousers when you go out for a walk on a rainy day.

Snapshot 9: This is the staircase which I lugged up my 25kg luggage and lost a wheel. You can see it (the wheel or what's left of it) on the third bottom-most step. I was feeling brave and strong and decided I could manage wheeling my luggage from my flat to the hotel. But forgot about the glass pieces on the pavement (from the drunken gangs that haunt Edinburgh at night) which took 1 of the wheel on my luggage about halfway there making it almost impossible to wheel it. Wanted to give up and take a cab but realised OMFG I forgot my wallet. Didn't want to leave my luggage in the middle of the street and run back for my wallet so I dragged my handicapped luggage to the hotel, cutting through the shortcut (decided that up the stairs beats walking for an extra 200m or so). Bravely and politely rejected the offers of help that kindly Edinburgh gentlemen offer to me and pretending not to pant too hard.

There you go. My exciting grad trip. (Not really)

As in not that it's not exciting. But the photos don't show half of it xD

2010-10-24T04:26:00.000+01:00

Went for a concert last Tues at Yong Siew Toh with Xiaomirs :)

It was possibly the first string quartet that I've heard because as a wind orchestra person, strings are beyond me. The first time that I heard a violin that I didn't immediately go 'EWWWWWWWWWW' was back in 2006, sitting the B&B in Cambridge with Rui, watching the BBC Proms on our little TV. I'm not even sure who it was. It was a lady, and she was so awesome that Rui and I just sat there listening, instead of launching into our usual complaints about string instruments :)

So, anyway, I can't tell if the Shanghai Quartet was brilliant but they sounded pretty good to me. The rather modern-sounding piece by Penderecki, however, was ... well, modern. It sounds like the type of piece that I wouldn't be able to understand and perform unguided, though the motifs are quite pleasant taken alone.

But Xiaomirs and I were discussing how amazing it was that they could change tempo, and in general, play together without a conductor to direct them. Sitting in Rwinds prac yesterday, it's amazing how even when there IS a conductor, the band was unable to change dynamics or tempo together. Maybe for the simple fact that some of us are unfamiliar with the pieces. But also, because coming from different backgrounds and different bands, we don't play in the same style and we don't feel the same about how a piece ought to be played.

Anyway, back to the Shanghai Quartet, alarmingly, I quite like their 'Selections from China Song'. Perhaps it was cos the first movement was Yao Dance, and in RG, I'm pretty sure I played 'Dances of Yao' or something like that and it just sounded so familiar :)

This is such a boring entry x.x

2010-10-15T10:40:00.003+01:00

今日はちょうつまらない！何もしませんでした！雑誌もう読みました。日本語で日記を書きたいですが、日本語を書けません。いらだたしいんですね。ついさっき、エディンバラのクリスマスのウェブサイトを見る。思い出を蘇える。日本語で書くは難しすぎる！友達が今晩の晩御飯の予約を取りやめました。どうする。一人でご飯を食べるか。

2010-10-15T03:33:00.000+01:00

You know you're a workaholic when you think about putting work-related stuff on your blog.
But I can't resist x.x

Japanese have fewest digital friends on social networks
Quotes from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11501625

In Malaysia the average number of friends is 233, closely followed by 231 in Brazil and 217 in Norway. This contrasts to an average of just 29 friends in Japan, and 68 in China

Article suggests countries like Japan have 'fewer but closer relationships'. To be honest, I find that assumption plausible but unreliable. It really depends on what the survey meant by social networks. If they only surveyed global sites, which are mostly English-speaking, then it would make a lot of sense why Japan and China scored low. Not that Japanese and Chinese speak less English, but they tend to prefer using their own languages, I feel. Sadly, I don't know of any Chinese-only social networking sites, but I'm pretty sure they do. And perhaps this is the channel where most Chinese social networkers go?

Or it could also just mean that social networking sites are just not as popular. For China, internet penetration rate isn't high. It is possible that many 'friends' simply do not have easy internet access. Or, even in Japan, where internet penetration rate is high, the statistics may simply suggest that social networking sites are not very popular amongst the locals.

It is true that the overall rise in the use of social networking sites, or more generally, digital sources suggest that businesses should venture into digital space in order to attract their customers. But, it is also crucial that one looks at which market they are targeting. Because statistics are so misleading sometimes.

Don't feel like expanding. It's too brain-taxing for a Friday morning :)

2010-10-13T10:10:00.000+01:00

Just found some photos on an old thumbdrive - Manchester photos :) Haha. Year 1. My first trip in the UK. (Not counting touching down in London, going to Cambridge and then to Edinburgh) With Kenny, Hian Liang and Garrick. Being very studious uh students, we went to the library.

Then to the Christmas market at the town square :) It was very pretty.

And the Manchester-eye?flyer?wheel?!

And of course to Chinatown, where we FEASTED on Chinese food, dim sum (nom nom) and bought snacks at the Chinese supermarket.

Also saw 3 cute trumpeters in Santa hats playing Christmas carols. In the cold. In the FREEZING cold. Surely their fingers must have been frozen.

Dunno why. But I can't upload any more pics :( So sad. So you can't see the cute newt-salamander-monster thingy. Or the pics at Old Trafford. Or you can.. just wait for the next post haha. Since I'm lazy to transfer new photos.

This was so long ago I can't even remember most of what happened. 2006 Christmas holidays. With 3 guys I barely knew. Just cos all the girls went back for Christmas in their first year. But it went surprisingly well. I can't say I didn't enjoy the trip haha! I'm glad I met up with Nic and Shun in London after that though :) It's always nice to be with your loved ones during the festive season!

2010-10-11T09:28:00.005+01:00

I'm determined to start blogging again :)
Will blog about Sat when I can be bothered to sort out kite-flying photos.

Sunday :)

Went to catch 'Welcome' at Alliance Francais.

(I'm not sure how to credit photos. But I got this from inSing.com. Why is the hyperlink black!)

And... non, je ne parlez pas Français.
About a strange relationship between Simon and Bilal. Actually I can't be bothered to write about the story :) But some of the images were very striking. The brown 'Welcome' doormat at the hostile neighbour's door. And the way it said 'Welcome' stark white against a black background at the end of the film. Bilal in his blue wetsuit striking out against the foamy waves in the stormy grey sea. It was very grey. The sky was grey. The sea was grey. The blank, blank looks on Bilal's and his friend's face at their sudden fortune. The typical messy, ravenblack hair of a poor Pakistani girl in London (Londre). The ring. Diamond and sapphire. That nobody wanted. And the look on his face when Simon told his wife: He walked 4000m and now he wants to swim the Channel. Just to meet his girl. And I can't even cross the road to get you back.

Irrelevantly, mini burgers are very yummy :) I think I will eat mini burgers everytime I go back to Holland V. As long as I don't go with Qpuffs, the restaurant will probably be open.

2010-10-08T09:46:00.003+01:00

reading 2006 posts - by myself.
somehow some of the events don't even seem familiar - at all.
i used to write quite interesting posts. maybe my life was more interesting. actually i do write interesting posts (right? xD) but just a lot less frequently. maybe i should make it a habit of writing almost everyday. it's nice to look back. note the change in writing style. so much has happened in these 4 years that not much stays the same anymore. it's not just how i write, how i do work. but my entire attitude towards life, towards people, towards events. it's strange how for the first 18 years of my life, nothing much happened to change my world view. but in these short 4 years, maybe even just the last 2 or 3 years, things after things happened, so much so that i don't know who the xin writing all those past posts is.

2010-10-04T10:47:00.002+01:00

The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them — words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than living size when they’re brought out. But it’s more than that, isn’t it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you’ve said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That’s the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.

- The Body, Stephen King

Copied it off Chong's blog. Just cos it's so true. Especially the part about making revelations (that took you ages to pluck up enough courage to utter it) and facing an indifferent response that 'you almost cried while you were saying it'.

But we musn't lose the courage to try again.

2010-09-09T15:22:00.000+01:00

it's a long, long journey.
but i'm home...
and nothing is the same.

2010-08-29T12:06:00.006+01:00

Back in Singapore.
Time flies. And I still miss everyone... it's so strange how I won't be flying back.Stepping into that house.Dreading all the household chores and the bugs that have settled in over summer.THOSE WOODLICE.And then meeting up for tea at Kilimanjaro or Beanscene or someone's flat.Found some miscellanous photos taken over the last half year or so.Random memories unaltered by Photoshop (just cos I can't be bothered to).They may be blur, not artistic or whatever but they remain a special part of me.

Snapshot 1: Supper. An almost daily occurrence usually in the wee hours of the morning. Apple pie from Farmfoods and a scoop of Haagen- Dazs Bailey's, not that you can see the rest of the tub, which we managed to finish as well.

Snapshot 2: Oreo smilie. Tea break at Nurul's. One of our countless dissertationsessions with yummyfood. Rahima and Nurul and I with mugs of tea, 3 laptops and a constant chatter.

Snapshot 3: Happy chocolatebread family <3 Lots of love from Nurul and I. A lesson on what to do when you get sick of studying.

Snapshot 4: Sunset at Arthur's Seat.I miss having such a beautiful place just 15 minutes from my place.

Snapshot 5: Botanic Gardens. I know I said I'll go back when the flowers are out. Maybe someday I will..

Snapshot 6: Scottish weather. Self-explanatory.

Ok I gotta go out. So.. will continue this next time. Hehe. Didn't expect -that- many photos. BUt the more I look at them, the more I want to talk about them. Every one of them. They all seem equally important.

2010-01-15T04:05:00.026Z

So I can't sleep.
And I really don't want to look at my dissertation (OMG the D- word)
So I blog o.o
Not the best idea but...

During the summer hols, I went to Hong Kong with my mom and my 2 sisters :)

We stayed in a nice hotel :)

We got hungry. So we ate some yummy crépes.

Man, we were really hungry. So we had an amazingly HUGE bowl of noodles with ALL the TYPES of ingredients they had to offer. Each.

Breakfast was just porridge. And Char Siew Bao. And Spring Rolls. And Many other Dim Sum. You get the idea.

We went to some scenic place. By the river. At the famous convention centre??

I took a blur photo of my mom and sisss at the famous golden peony statue thing.

And then got a pro photographer (you know those with the big NIXON camera) to take an
equally blur photo of us at the big Guan Yin statue.

Got mommy to take a CLEAR (finally o.o) photo of us loving the lion statues.

Then Jia shows her elation at being in front of a red arch o.o

We got on a boat.

And passed by an awesome floating seafood restaurant (which we didn't go into)

We later step into a jewel/precious rock kinda place, which had a spitting man as our tour leader, introducing (and splattering the poor kids in front with saliva as he went along)the place to us.

And apparently tea in restaurants aren't meant for drinking. They are meant for washing your cutlery.

We went to take the funicular after walking and walking and thinking we were lost o.o Giving me a chance to take one of my awesome black photos of my siss at the station.

At the Peak, who else did we bump into but James Bond?

There was an awesome view, but who needs pictures of that? Nah, we just got a French guy to take A photo of us blocking the view :)

How can any trip be without the usual toilet trip to get freshen up and take a few photos in the mirror?

And although Daddy didn't come along, we didn't forget Daddy <3

And tea break came not too soon. With typical Hong Kong egg tarts and milk tea. Nom nom.

Went to the Avenue of STars at night forgoing dinner just to catch a lousy light show of buildings. We were hungry. HUNGRY!

So, NATURALLY, we headed to an all-you-can-eat buffet STEAMBOAT. i mean, boiled stuff is healthy right?

Our last horrible moments at the hotel, after finishing a yummy dessert, waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for that irresponsible ***** who didn't fetch us to the airport... (ONe of my wonderful dark photos)

It was a great trip despite the minor glitch at the end. And maybe it's my curse with travelling. The return trip was a bit horrifying but we returned in the end :)

Maybe I'll do Japan next. Except I don't know where my photos are.
And they're all of Huiyan so I need her approval.
Then maybe New York. which is like in this SD card too for some reason. Yay. Just wasted 45 mins of my life doing this o.o Uploading photos is HORRIBLE.

2009-11-16T21:40:00.000Z

Whee~
I'm happy I wrote about 300 words for my dissertation.
Though I guess it's high time I should :)

But WHEEEE~ anyhow

2009-11-12T00:43:00.002Z

I dreamt last night

That I was travelling with Huiyan and Shunling and Nic and Rui :)
As though Huiyan was still in the UK doing exchange
And Shunling wasn't in China
And Rui wasn't in the US already

Time flies~

2009-10-22T12:34:00.001+01:00

xinyi hates winter
cos no one looks good in winter clothes.

no one!

2009-10-21T17:43:00.003+01:00

i know what i should like to do :)

reading an article about the anachronism of the nation-state, and distracted by thoughts of the Foundation series by Asimov. i feel like i should like to write a science-fiction story, exploring the possibility of alternative modes of human organisation.
i feel nerdy.

2009-08-31T13:03:00.001+01:00

the whole city seems to have quietened down.

from the library windows and the deathly silence, the grey clouds loom over the entire city, as far as i can see.
walking past george square, the hullabaloo has died down, all that is left are a few quiet old shacks, halfway dismantled.
arthur's seat is for once empty of tourists.

and maybe on royal mile, the performers are packing up.
everyone is going home.
after all, the festival is over.

2009-08-29T00:32:00.002+01:00

the military tattoo

as we surged into the area before the castle, searching for our seats, a small band of about ten smartly dressed men entertained - the police band? as we passed by one of the exits which they were standing near to, it suddenly struck me that i'm 'up close and personal' to one of the biggest international performance in the world :) the performers felt so close i felt like i could just run out and touch them (before getting arrested and dragged away by the security people HAHA). i didn't of course x.x

tbc.

2009-08-26T19:03:00.002+01:00

omg. i haven't been blogging. what if... what if i forget... this exhilarating week!

saturday. the world-famous edinburgh military tattoo. the excitement is amazing. just cos it's a world-famous thing and cos i'm attending it (i know i'm a bimbo x.x) and to be honest, i didn't know much about it (though i've seen pictures of bagpipe bands and stuff and i've seen the stands when i visited the castle after the event x.x)

firstly the queue. royal mile has been really crowded these days, but this is unbelievable. a boy shuffling behind me mutters: mom, i've heard of a traffic jam, but this? humans? if there were a step in front of me, i doubt i'd have seen it. not to mention i was juggling my bag, my subway sandwiches in one hand and the subway cookies in the other and considering whether to take my camera out and capture the magnificent queue.

we saw the entrance to the castle but the guy 'strangely' directed us to the left, and just as we were wondering, we saw the queue that wound down shandwick terrace (it's a bloody long terrace in case u were wondering) and so we joined the queue, subway in the mouth looking spectacularly unglam, and the rest of the 'early' people in the queue ogling at you as if you were some exhibit.

2009-08-22T02:05:00.002+01:00

somehow it doesn't feel exciting anymore.

just walking around a few venues today. the pleasance and the udderbelly (which is a cute upside down purple cow) which are actually quite a few venues in themselves. pleasance courtyard, pleasance cabaret bar, udderbelly pastures, udderbelly hullaballoo.. went to the gilded balloon. for all its hype about being THE place for comedy.. it still looks like boring old teviot! gilded balloon? maybe not. the name conjures fantasy of silver trimmings and floating dreams.. but it's just boring old teviot plus a banner x.x

maybe it's cos we didn't go for a show today, so it was just rather aimless.

there was a massive downpour at around six? my umbrella was tortured by the wind and my clothes were totally soaked through. but it was exciting running in the rain, trying not to get wet perhaps? i don't know why. the pellets of icy cold rain hitting you. high heels clicking on cobbled stones. running madly and looking fabulously unglamorous in that glamourous satin skirt. still holding the umbrella though it doesn't seem to work. the moment i got home, i changed to something dry, and as i stepped out of my bedroom again, the sun was up and shining and it seemed like it never rained after all x.x

scottish weather.

2009-08-20T01:09:00.002+01:00

boys from brazil (+a girl)

are SO hot.

vibrant, energetic, intense. it's like watching aggressive ballet dancers. i can't describe it. graceful and yet strong. exciting and yet slow. you've got to watch it.
capoeira is amazing.

feel like picking it up someday. i won't mind a bit of salsa too.

and to top it all off, this spectacular showcase of sweaty, muscular male bodies takes place in St George West's Church. Behind the stereos lay the pipe organs. Above the stage throbbing with flashing lights lay the ornate carvings of cherubs and flowers. As we all sit where the congregation would, we clapped our hands wildly and bobbed to the rhythmic music, celebrating this wonderful display from

the boys from brazil

*appppplause!!!!*

2009-08-19T01:44:00.002+01:00

the banana sessions @ the pink bus

jazz? blues?
a flute, a tuba, a guitar, bongo drums and a singer with a tambourine + steve the monkey.
the bus sways in rhythm to the stamping of the feet, the clapping of hands and the fervour of the songs. humorous, witty songs narrated by an enigmatic voice. the tuba bell hits the little teddy bear dangling above every so often. the flautist with his soft ginger hair and black plastic glasses. the guitarist with a beard and moustache and sideburns. the singer. the singer with white-blonde hair in a black tank top with a black skirt with roses, wearing a black beaded necklace. the drummer who hides in a corner and faces the walls as if playing to them. the little decorations in the bus sways precariously

(outside, some drunkards yell something unintelligible)

i bought their CD - a keepsake that might tug back memories of the guitarist's earnest smile, or the tuba player's sturdy beat, something more than the still image of a photograph with the flautist missing.

the pink bus.

2009-08-18T16:14:00.001+01:00

Umm.. Can someone tell me why it's 'wet in the North, sunny in the South'? Or why it's so cold in Edinburgh and so warm in London?

2009-08-17T23:39:00.002+01:00

tourists overflowing, spilling over royal mile, trickling into back alleys

a taster concert at the urban garden. stairs that wind down from Adam House. 'through a door and down the stairs again, then through the maze'. a hastily set up temporary maze of metal fences barely concealed by green drapery - an urban garden. paths strewn with rough stones that end in abrupt dead-ends, till one comes out into the centre and a group of girls in pink bob to the music, singing their hearts out for the little kids in their prams, the little girl in a pink dress running around, for the next band waiting in line for their performance - the trombonist nervously checking his slide, for the elderly couple in front of us, and the Asian couple that just walked through the maze.

Hull's Swing Band came up next. two trumpeters, a young uncomfortable guy and an old seasoned man; two trombonists, one hidden behind the showy saxes and the other heartily addressing the crowd; two saxophonists, the tenor driving the music on and the alto doggedly follows on and the single drummer. through the music stands, one could read 'jazz classics for swing ensembles'. they don't smile, except the trombonist who addressed the crowd and the tenor sax who tried so hard to cheer the alto up. the quality of the music is stunning for this motley crew - the piercing clarity of the top notes from the gold trumpet and the careless flair in that saxophone vibrato. but they couldn't get the crowd jumping or swaying or dancing along. it wasn't easy to get into the mood.

the pink bus. next to the urban garden. an artistic project towed 400 miles from Reading, West of London, constructed by two (now anonymous) final year Art students who collected brics and bracs from random shops to decorate 'the pink bus'. one boards the bus through the steps covered with CDs, grabs on to the railings carefully wrapped up in ancient scores, peers through the windows all covered up with thematic displays. one full of glass bottles, one full of cuddly soft toys. the front seats are smothered with pink cushions with girly touches hanging from above, enveloped by posters of loving couples with mushy slogans. across, one sees a sturdy fireplace, whose mantelpiece is covered with pamphlets and leaflets and notes. up the stairs we go, noting the gramaphone records plastering the walls, into yet another area. on top of our heads, red christmas decorations dangle happily. far off at the back of the bus lies half a mattress, covered with pink sheets, pink cushions and a giant smiling teddy bear. at the bed post, there's a sign that says 'look above and laugh'. if one lies on the bed and look. one sees mirrors of all sorts, and your curious reflection peering back at you. laughs? yet another patch of the ceiling is covered with extravagant lamps of all sorts. some oriental, some victorian, none familiar.

we're going back to the pink bus.

a stroll along the congested royal mile. one sees little stages perhaps 2m by 1m, framed by a shoddy curtain, housing earnest actors acting out snippets of their plays, performers, singers in kilts. at every other corner, one sees the usual street stunt performers, the clowns, juggling knives and fire torches, swallowing swords, balancing precariously on high ladders or wobbly platforms and saying the most ridiculous things to tease a laugh from the audience. out comes the hat, in goes the money and the crowd disperses.

i don't think words (or hastily taken photos) can do justice to the sights and sounds that assaulted me during that 3? hours i spent out in the city i've been walking around for the past 3 years. i wish everyone could see this.

2009-08-17T01:45:00.002+01:00

dragging my luggage across the cobbled stones

there was a man in a black suit with a top hat perched upon a bicycle seat playing on his piano balanced atop bicycle wheels. i don't know what you call it - a portable piano concert? there he was, in the breezy (so the pilot said as we got off the plane) chilly Edinburgh summer, playing like a maestro, except his concert hall was the noisy school grounds, and his audience, whoever cared to stop and listen.

2009-08-05T18:27:00.003+01:00

just thought it might be helpful to translate the 'scots' poem i put up last week?week before that? anyway, here's my best attempt -

I've surely had a good week out in Singapore,
And seen some things I'd never seen at home in Scunnerlaw(Scotland?!!)
If you care for piano works, (be chooser or be beggar),
You'll never hear them better played than by Joanna MacGregor
The next night I was so jet-lagged I thought that I might faint
Instead I saw a Latvian play, that was just like drying paint.
"The Cherry Orchard" next I seen, and it was awfully grand,
It had been directed by famous Lin Zhaohua
The final sight that thrilled my eyes was World Famous's "Crackers",
But then I had to go and sleep, for by then I was tired
The venues for the festival, down by the waterfront
I'd have to ssay, with hand on heart, that they were brilliant.
So now I'm home, with sights and sounds amongst the best seen yet
And all my friends can say to me is "(either) Who got lucky? (or) What's your problem you little bugger" (i'm sorry i'm really bad at this x.x)
I didn't care, it's been a time I'll mind for everymore,
I'll always treasure memories of bonnie (:D) Singapore

2009-08-05T14:34:00.005+01:00

frivolous thoughts.

omg it's 22 degrees in Edin. it's finally warm. and i'll finally get to enjoy it. blissss~

brought cheki clothes-shopping today. was a little embarrassing trying to fit her in, especially since half the clothes didn't fit, but i got used to estimating towards the end. before realising... i actually have clothes that fit cheki at home. so we didn't buy anything. poor cheki. though i think i ought to get something spongy to protect her.

i love cheki <3

felt like an aunty today. wearing shirts and shorts. carrying 2 big bags of shoes with my big bag full of shopping cos i didn't want to get more plastic bags - sometimes the shopkeeper pack your stuff so naturally, so hastily that they get annoyed that you want to give them back their plastic bags - and walking over to HANG TEN (yea i know) and buying 3for$10 tops. i had ugly hair, hastily done up in a pony tail in an attempt to tame it. i was wearing specs. no make-up. totally unappealing. and tzes suddenly msged: xin is so sexy *grinss* if only she knew.

saw a cute notebook today. it's titled 'little princess' in chinese. and it's full of drawings. in place of the blank pages after pages, there were cute drawings and little messages on every page - didn't really look closely enough but i believe every page is quite different. isn't it exciting? wouldn't u want to get to the end of the book asap so u can read and see everything :) was half-tempted to get it. it was at popular strange enough. popular. where you buy boring but cheap stationery. it was kinda like an 'artbox' thing yes about half the price. but i wouldn't know what to write in it. and i think what i really wanted wasn't the book, but to design something like that =D

REALLY irrelevantly, while i was walking around popular (looking for paper x.x) i was just thinking: there are architects (for the exterior of buildings); there are civil engineers (for the structure of buildings); there are interior designers (for the interior of buildings); i kind of want to be an office-desk-designer. i can like totally imagine myself owning an office desk - cosy corner- in STB and refurbishing it every so often and offering to help others create their personalised office desk. who knows? having a personalised office desk may inspire creativity and improve productivity. maybe we can have like office-desk-design competitions. HAHAHAHAHA!

ok sorry. very off today~
but i had a good time shopping by myself.

though i would like some opinions on what clothes to get for cheki :(
poor cheki is in a weird green adidas thing that hangs weirdly. yea it's weird.

2009-08-05T14:17:00.003+01:00

today...

(i did many things)

i saw an old man playing the dizi at the underpass from the MRT to AMK Hub. it's quite a common sight/sound except he was playing classical music. and i don't mean Chinese Orchestra classical; i mean Symphonic Orchestra classical. it was amazing. i recognized the piece immediately, though I couldn't remember who it was by - Wagner? Rachmaninoff? it was something dramatic and intensely familiar, threatening to bring back fierce memories of the Esplanade. and it was just an old man, playing his dizi, at the underpass. i was going to ask him where he learnt it, if he knew what he was playing, or just put some money in his tin can... but i was swept away by the surging post-office-hours crowd.

on my way back home, i was thinking: maybe it's kinda symbolic (or maybe i'm being over-sensitive). i was thinking about what nic said to me that night at dempsey. when i thoughtlessly lamented how much i've missed playing the clarinet, how much i've missed performing, and he sort of reminded me that it's not impossible to. and it just struck me. i have just been comfortably, and maybe a little wistfully been swept along by the tide of life, never thinking of resisting...

it would have been easy to cut across the crowd and talk to the old man.

i can't let that passion die.

2009-07-20T16:39:00.001+01:00

was checking our the edinburgh festival cos i'm FINALLY going to attend this year, and found this blog entry by someone who's been for the SINGAPORE ARTS FESTIVAL.

Ah’ve shairly had a bonnie week oot in Singapore,
An’ seen some things ah’d nivver see at hame in Scunnerlaw
If ye care for pianney wurks, be chooser or be beggar,
Ye’ll nivver hear them better pliyed than by Joanna MacGregor
The next nicht ah wis sae jet-lagged ah thocht that ah micht faint
Insteed ah saw a Latvian play, t’wis jist like dryin’ paint.
“The Cherry Orchard” nixt ah seen, an’ it wis awfy braw,
It had been directit by famous Lin Zhaohua
The final sicht that thrilled ma een wis Warld Famous’s “Crackers”,
But then ah hud tae go an kip, fir by then ah wis knackered
The venues fer the festival, doon by the waterfront
Ah’d huv tae say, wi’ haun on hairt, that they were brillyunt.
Sae noo ah’m hame, wi’ sichts and sounds amangst the best seen yet
An’ a’ ma freens can say tae me is “Wha’s a jammy get?”
Ah dinnae care, it’s been a time ah’ll mind fer evermore,
Ah’ll ayewis treasure memories o’ bonnie Singapore

(Taken from the 22/6/2009 entry at http://eif.co.uk/blog)

2009-07-16T16:07:00.002+01:00

there's only one thing in my mind.

limelight.raffles (institution x.x) junior college band.not that they were particularly good, rather, the reverse.esplanade.clarinets. the lights. the uniform. mr oura in black suit black bowtie. then mr oura in white suit maroon bowtie.

almost like looking at myself in the past. wondering if anyone in the audience was like us. pointing out how brian's junior looked very red in the face. how the soloist's instrument looks unpolished and unoiled. how the alto sax guy has an annoyingly arrogant face. or the chimes girl has a run in her stockings. or how the weird looking perc guy play the piano shockingly well.

the same uniform. the blazer, the white shirt the black office skirt. strange how the juniors were all wearing stiletto heels when we wore court shoes. strange how i always felt like i looked really smart in the uniform when the juniors look so.. small-insignificant. the uniform isn't much after all.

but seeing mr oura talk to the band, and how the front row clars smiled at his encouragement as he prepares to cue them in reminds me of all the times before a piece when he would say something or make a funny face, the times when i felt really inspired, when the band breathed together as one, or when u sit back during a long rest and listen to the band, or whn your section conquers a particularly tricky part. everything everything makes me want to play again.

except

i think i'll be disappointed at my sound.

2009-07-15T07:19:00.002+01:00

i forgot why i wanted to post!

*thinks hard...*

x.x

but the only thing in my mind now is.. i should stop doing this --> HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. the evil laughter thing. seems like i find everything hilarious.

was reading 'the hours' and was reminded of the 'article' rui showed me at botanical gardens a few saturdays ago. those were the days :) i hate being old and having responsibilities and thinking about the mundane boredom of life.

okay whatever. back to research.

2009-07-06T18:49:00.002+01:00

What do you do when you're back in Singapore?

ok i'm trying to write a blog entry cos i'm irritated and i can't get to sleep and i went online to do something constructive and because i've been thinking about meeting up with people and doing things and wondering what to do back in Singapore and knowing there isn't much time if i just let the days pass by but i'm lazy and i can't be bothered to think or to go online to find out if people are free because i don't have their handphone numbers - so.

the end.

2009-05-17T01:23:00.002+01:00

Fairytale

Performer: Alexander Rybak
Song writer(s): Alexander Rybak
Song composer(s): Alexander Rybak

Years ago when I was younger
I kinda’ liked a girl I knew.
She was mine, and we were sweethearts,
That was then, but then it’s true

I’m in love with a fairytale
Even though it hurts.
‘Cause I don’t care if I lose my mind;
I’m already cursed

Every day we started fighting,
Every night we fell in love.
No one else could make me sadder,
But no one else could lift me high above

I don’t know what I was doing
But suddenly we fell apart.
Nowadays I cannot find her.
But when I do we’ll get a brand new start

I’m in love with a fairytale
Even though it hurts.
Cause I don’t care if I lose my mind;
I’m already cursed

She’s a fairytale Yeah
Even though it hurts.
Cause I don’t care if I lose my mind;
I’m already cursed

Being not-very-intellectually swept off my feet by a cute Norwegian boy born in Belarus, who broke the record of the highest votes in the Eurovision song contest. CLassically trained in both the piano and the violin (since his parents are a famous pianist and a famous violinist respectively), he played the 'Fiddler' in the Oslo Nye Teater's version of Fiddler on the Roof in 2007. He is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo sweeet <3

Maybe it's just the song - it's like every girl's dream to hear such a charming boy sing that to you~ And fairytale... you get what I mean. He is so adorable :D and he played so hard he broke the strings on his bow (unless I was mistaken and that was actually decorative strings -.-) And he gave this random girl a kiss while walking out for his encore... what a lucky girl! ahhhh~

2009-05-11T16:08:00.001+01:00

omgomgomg.

long ago, someone (sarah?) told me there was this taiwanese drama called 'fated to love you' whose main character is called chen xinyi (YES i know) and even the chinese characters are EXACTLY the same as mine.

freakily, (out of boredom)i went to check out the actress (in case she's pretty) and she's the main character on 'Frog Turned Prince' (qing wa bian wang zi) whom I always thought was uglier than the 'slut-of-the-show' - in fact, i've always wanted the prince to get together with the other girl just cos she's prettier (i know, don't say anything). AND THE FREAKIEST THING OF ALL? the actress (who acted the character with the exact same name as mine) has the SAME BIRTHDAY AS ME!!!!! ffs. talk about coincidence. i mean i'm not exactly 164cm, not 47kg (actually i might just be 47kg lol)

and did i mention - the character is (quoting dramawiki) 'a really unfashionable working class girl' - thanks very much! now i know where all this unfashionable vibes are coming from~ maybe an acquaintance who always thought i was unfashionable wrote that show - maybe -.-

2009-05-11T13:51:00.002+01:00

I have a dumb-blonde blog.

You know, when I read some of my friends' blogs, I'm like 'wow they are so intellectual'. They discuss current affairs, make ironic comments on the world economy, challenge the status quo and discuss potentials.

I suppose I could do that - in my essays/ exams. But - and the big but - I need somewhere to talk about myself :D Selfish old me, I know. I mean, current affairs intrigue me only in the context of my academic work but as a girl, I don't care? xD Don't get me wrong, I do love doing politics and writing essays about the crux of the Asian Financial Crisis and the failure of democratic peace theory -.- But the girl in me lives a separate life - of shopping, of romantic movies, of fashion, of sunny beaches and bikinis, of baking sweets, of creating birthday cards, of making music :) But the woman in me analyse the world critically, laugh at the welfare system cynically, view charity work sceptically and ponder over world affairs. The woman in me tuts at the silly models on 'S Factor' while the girl in me yearns to be there with them -.-

Life is a dialectic, a pendulum swaying endlessly between 2 extremes. Some may find the equilibrium in the end, but others... keep on vacillating.

2009-05-09T17:57:00.002+01:00

whee~ walked out of my house for the first time in uh.. 2 weeks?!
it's cold alright - but i guess warmer than winter - but not exactly summer material, i don't think.

after looking at all the beautiful pics of people on facebook or whatever, i feel quite ugly sitting at home in my pjs, with my hair all messed up, and my eyebags sagging - and all my photos look so drab. and feeling really fat, cos all i do is eat (alot) and sit down and stare at my lappie xD

but going out made me feel so much better - some fresh air in my system, hair neatly done up, (a little make-up :P), my lovely boots, white jeans, without my fat ugly coat, but just a scarf to spice up my sweater - i don't look TOO bad :D maybe it's cos i saw some 'ugly' photos of celebs on The Mirror today xD and it made me feel better - like no one can look good ALL the time, can they?? after all, who (but me) posts ugly photos on their facebook - clearly only their best-looking and sexy and (photo-shoppedddd - bordering on self-delusion now, aren't i)photos go online.

i want a shopping bud. anyone?

2009-05-09T02:05:00.002+01:00

my exams start on 12th may - it's going to be realism in IR first - which might well be my weakest subject - ah well get the worst over and done with - speaking of which, i haven't actually gone to collect my RIR essay, like I don't know where to? and now that the collection date is over, I don't know HOW to -.- Don't really care *shrugs*

then it's going to be 13th may - approaches to politics and IR.. the boring one, and the kind i screwed up in year 2 (a bit like a mix of SPE and SPT)about methodology, about ontology, epistemology and so on - basically, you don't study anything in particular, just a really broad perspective though i do think the way the lectures were conducted were much better - just cos it connects, and the essay went alright - i mean i would totally love a 1st class, but i'm happy with the 2.1 *shrugs*

and then my last is on 20th may - so 1 week after the rest and i TOTALLY haven't touched it, i'm leaving it for that week -.- might be a bad idea especially since kenny will be done by then, and i'll feel like slacking :( (haven't gone shopping for agess - wanna buy pretty pretty clothes - have a burning desire to doll myself up) but it's Political Economy of East Asia which is like my best subject -.- cos it deals with reality (i mean, you would think realism in IR deals with reality but FAR from it) and i see things happening and i understand them. all that fluffy talk gets me - i am clearly not a political theorist xD

i would - if possible - try to do a dissertation on tourism but i think it's kinda difficult - international relations plus tourism = ?! needs some imagination, plus i haven't particularly read ANYTHING remotely about tourism in my 3 years doing IR. makes u think, doesn't it? not like my dissertation is gonna help in my future career or anything...

in fact, i think watching 'the apprentice' helps more~
so watch out for this column.. cos i think i'll do a 'Apprentice's guide to doing Business' lol.

i'm really jealous of kate.
i wish i were blonde and pretty :(

2009-05-07T02:43:00.001+01:00

When did boys come into our lives?

It suddenly struck me as I looked at the facebook photos, as the girls-dominated photos get replaced gradually by the boys-dominated ones.

Why did they become so important?

That not a single conversation goes by without mentioning at least one of them, that every consideration has to take care of their interests, that what they think actually matters.

Girl power, anyone? Anyone at all?
?

2009-05-01T16:47:00.001+01:00

“Each has his past shut in him like the leaves of a book known to him by heart and his friends can only read the title" Virginia Woolf

2009-05-01T02:50:00.002+01:00

well that was long ago.
the essay's back but i don't know where to collect it from.. so erm, well!

i look at people's photos, i watch the telly (oh my beloved telly) and i think - i ought to dress better - i do. i ought to wear pretty dresses, and keep up with the fashion with high-waisted skirts and lovely trenches, and flashy belts, and chunky necklaces, way-too-high heels and everything.

but i don't want to throw away all the clothes i've bought in the past years though they'll never match the image i want to be. dress like you want to be, not dress like yourself - says a certain telly show. and you know what, i think i might jsut start doing that.

2009-03-26T02:01:00.002Z

i just need a place to vent.
I feel so helpless. Struggling with Realism.
Writing a 2000 word essay - but feeling like if I should include everything I think should be included, it'll go up to 4000.
Remembering the times he said 'Answer the question' and wondering if I had according to his criteria, recalling the times he said 'You'll get an epiphany' and wondering why I hadn't and what I'm doing all wrong.

I need my epiphany NOW.

2009-03-24T20:12:00.002Z

you know, someday, i should sit down and write about what i miss about singapore xD

right now, i miss the feeling of the sun on my shoulders and in my hair. i miss the smell of fresh grass and rain during thunderstorms. i miss taking cold showers and not shivering when i step out. i miss the warmth and i miss summer clothes. i can wear shorts or skirts or three-quarters or jeans - and not have to worry about the weather or if i can stand wearing this little when i go shopping. i don't have to stroll along the streets, seeing grey coats, olive-green coats, black coats - and staring at my own dull coat - every single day - the same look. i don't have to battle with blustery winds trying to obscure my view with my very messy hair.

and i don't have to think about how i'll soon leave all this behind - for good.

2009-03-17T00:32:00.002Z

this barrage of posts just means i have work to do.
it comes in waves - the posts- when i'm forced to do readings, that's what i end up doing.

that's what i liked about math or science, cos i could always sit down and work out stuff, and every answer i get, is like one question nearer to the end. readings? the more u do, the more you have to read to understand... you'll never understand the whole picture. there's always a selection bias. i hand in every essay, wondering and wondering if i did well. science? it's right... or wrong xD somehow i don't want my essays to be just 'right' but also 'mature' or 'insightful'. something more...

that's what i liked about studying japanese, cos i could sit down and plow through the grammar, (and admire my handwriting -.- and trying to see how i could refine it) or translation is fun too. omg don't tell my class that - they'll hate me. finding the exact word that fits the context, feeling how the various words mesh together to form a coherent story. basking in the satisfaction that you've produced a meaningful concept out of unintelligible words :D

well.. better get down to wondering what the end of the cold war meant for neo/realism.

2009-03-13T17:41:00.002Z

It's Friday the 13th.

May not mean much to most but it brings back memories :)
I miss you, nic and rui :(
But now, we've all grown up.

Well, anyway, I just want to say I felt really unlucky today. Beginning from 12am last night, when I felt miserable about my essay and realised that I needed to get this core text which is £30 (second hand with scribblings on the margin and the edges cut off or something) JUST for the essay. So, despite the readings that i've done already, and the 4 heavy books i checked out, i decided to change topic. Slept at 3am.

Woke up at 8, then 8.30, then 8.40am and forced myself out of bed to do readings for tutorials today. hastily read and then left for class. in class, we're supposed to analyse this speech, and i got it all wrong (i bet the guy i analysed the text with HATES me) and then in my next class, while we were having discussions, the window smashed down and broke. it was like really dramatic -.- windows here, by the way, open upwards. So it came crashing down and the impact shattered the glass. No one was near, but hey, these things don't happen everyday.

So i went shopping for a present for Bridie cos it's her birthday tomorrow. and after dumping all the things on the counter and watching her scan them, i realised i have NO wallet -.- ok so while preoccupied with all these things on my mind, i walked out onto the road and nearly got hit by a truck -.- embarrasssing. so i came home, and napped until now. i will start on my essay. i will.

2009-03-12T22:25:00.002Z

i've been into fashion lately.
well, not exactly.

more like i've realised i need to dress better! i feel like such a dweeeeb. it's hannah's fault xD hannah is this really cool fashion blogger, and she also happens to be in all my tutorials last year. and as expected, she dresses really fashionably every single day. i mean, i have days when i 'get it right', but usually it's just top-denimskirt and go. maybe it's cos i have a very unfashionable coat (which i have to wear everyday) or maybe it's cos i have very plain clothes and i don't dare to try new things like high-waisted skirt. hannah makes high-waisted skirts look so natural and classy. and me? i bet i'll just look fat. speaking of which, i'm getting fat! like FAT-FAT! cos i haven't been doing any exercise, i.e. i haven't gotten out of my couch, except to get into my bed and sleep. lol. maybe it's cos i need an exciting pair of boots. and a major wardrobe overhaul.

ahhh. i want new clothes xD

2009-03-10T14:36:00.002Z

bneo's a tv star xD
i was err watching this japanese drama after finishing one essay (and before i start on the next) and the main character reminds me SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much of bneo. who would have thought bneo would become a hot japanese guy xD
[disclaimer: i'm not crazy over bneo. ]

basically, the drama's called 'tantei gakuen Q' which means umm detective school Q o_O i don't get the Q part cos it doesn't feature in the show at all. omg. it does. ok.. basically bneo's charater is called kyuu - you know, Q/ kyuu - hahaha! i just realised lol. and like he's this really sweet, happy-go-lucky and smart guy. but i like the other guy better - ryuu. ryuu is like really smart, very cool kinda guy and a little mysterious o_O but he's cute. omg. but i bet they're like 12 or something, they look freaking young. the girl is really chio. i'm so jealous. to look so chio without like much make-up on tv is not an easy thing to do, i should imagine. she must be gorgeous when she grows up. the mysteries are a bit.. err obvious.. shall i say? haha! well, and not particularly realistic either because of this strange hypnotist guy (who is related to ryuuuu xD)

ok. i'm not crazy over bneo. i must repeat xD
err i'm more interested in ummm hans j. morgantheau... :(

ok i shall start on my next essay *gulps*

PS pleaseee someone, go watch at least the first part of the show and tell me if u think kyuu looks like bneo toooo!!! aH.

2009-02-28T23:42:00.000Z

maybe i should do my dissertation on the policy of non-intervention in ASEAN xD