cognitive vomit

Arghh...can't believe holidays are almost coming to an end. Seems like the days after exam were just a myriad of activities: shopping, going out, meeting up,exercising,etc...

I have to say that this Christmas was one of the busiest Christmases I've ever had for the whole 19 years of my life. I didn't realise that being involved in the youth Christmas event for church could take up such a substantial amount of time even though my role was quite minor (At this point, I really salute the Pastors and church people for always giving their 101% to the events to make it a memorable one!).

I think I'm feeling the after effects of Christmas already: physical and mental burnout, a deep gaping hole in my pocket, not to mention the fact that I can feel a slight fever building up.

Hmmm...should really start taking care of myself cos I've been pushing my physical and mental faculties way past the limit but come to think of it,I have no regrets. Sounds cliche but I realised that giving is indeed better than receiving. Up to now, I didn't really understand its significance but somehow this Christmas, it hit me in a way I didn't realise before.

For this Christmas, I decided to go wholesale and baked stuff for 85% of my family and friends cos it's faster and more personal, I guess. Didn't realise that a simple cake/brownie could make someone's day more than I thought :)

Well, as for the downside of Christmas, I felt that I was not spending enough time with my family and I know that mum is kinda upset about that, especially the Christmas shopping part. 'Know my aunties are also kinda disappointed with me about some stuff but it's not as if I can help it. I really tried and even talked to God about it and stuff but sometimes it's good that you don't add any additional pressure. It'll only result in the reverse effect. Nevertheless, I'm glad that the Christmas party sorta gave us a neutral ground to start all over again and stuff...

Besides family, I felt that I have not been fair to some of my friends with regards to spending more time with them and stuff due to my other activities and I'm feeling guilty all over again. Dhab, you're seriously one of the most generous friends I've ever met and your selflessness always makes me feel bad. The treat at Seoul Garden's on us, ok? Besides Dhab, there are many others whom I felt I could have met up with more often. I can even see the names running through my mind now :(

Anyway, bidding starts tomorrow and I'm really dreading it. It's as if we are voluntarily signing up for another 5 months of torture (not to mention, competing with others to secure our most desired suffering) and if we make a mistake in bidding for an inappropriate module (our channel of suffering), we'll endure additional bouts of pain. Sounds theatrically angsty right? But I'm not kidding - I've never detested going back to school so much in my life. At least you can look forward to seeing old, familiar and mostly friendly faces in pri/sec school and JC but uni's seriously different. Everyone seems superficial and too "mature" to break out of their superior, intellectual mould (whether genuine or not) such that you can really get a glimpse of who they really were before entering uni and stuff.

Anyway, truth be told, I'm not sure why I keep having this urge to stay away from the house as much as possible and delay my return trips home. Maybe I do know why and am in self-denial but I just hope things will be clearer soon. God, I need you now more than ever before...

"it's been a long time"

Gathering with the primary school clique. Thought it was gonna be quite awkward at first but then it turned out rather well! One good thing about meeting up with friends that date back to as early as Primary School is that you know how/what the person was like -funny quirks, childish acts and all- before he/she becomes who they are now: individuals whose characters are constantly shaped by the people and environment around them. All 3 have obviously changed over the years but I'm quite glad that certain traits still remain. Hui Yun's mannerisms were more or less the same, Ashley's still as quiet and reserved and Moses is like a boy stuck in a man's body! I think the phrase "same old brand new you" aptly describes how I felt when I first saw them...heh heh :D


It was really refreshing to see them again, quite a nice break from current events and I seriously miss all of them, or rather, I miss those days when things were much more simpler and life was more carefree. Of course, there are certain things which I would prefer not to repeat all over again, but then such things do happen. The only thing that matters is how you respond and learn from them.

Anyway, serious stuff aside, it's quite scary to see them all shooting up like tao gay man! First time in my life when I'm actually the shortest amongst my friends, not that I'm very tall already but then I'm always "of average height!"

Still feeling a little guilty that I have not done some things yet...sometimes I think I should not make any promises at all...

Josh Groban: 60th Annual Emmy Awards

WOOHOOO! JOSH GROBAN AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE! I like the Southpark imitation! :D

AHH! Can't believe I found it but thanks to "Josh Groban Lovers" from Facebook, I stumbled unto (guess what) Mr Groban's very own, personal blog! OK, I know this sounds stupid and very fan-like but it kinda feels like he's talking straight to me! OoOo! :D:D

AND of course I'm not forgetting him, especially after hearing him serenade to Ai Ping and me at East Coast Park today, so he'll definitely be there under my links! He's still ZE Best of ZE Best !

Speaking of Josh Groban, I remembered one night when I was very in the mood to listen to him so I played his CD and sang myself to sleep when suddenly my Dad walked into the room and told Josh to quieten down cos it's "so late and he shouldn't be singing too loudly." You can't imagine how sad Josh felt (heh heh. OK, a lil' fan obssession here).

Hmm...other than that, I had a great time today, just spending time and chilling out. But I'm quite glad that the fitness plan is working! (All thanks to Duc and Zhiyi!) They've been great motivators and we've started meeting up to jog and stuff. Hope this continues though and by the way, I'm not a fitness nut/freak/guru/buff just because I'm jogging on a regular basis but I feel "fat, corpulent and oily" nowadays...heh heh...just be glad that I'm not doing the whole slimming-by-dieting-and-then-bingeing-later-on thing. I still eat my regular meals and on top of that, I'm not forgetting the daily dose of Chocolate ice-cream so, good news for people who want to stay slim and who love to indulge in food at the same time: just jog, it really works!

Last week was Ana's birthday...and honestly speaking, I've never had so much fun in a looong while! Really felt like myself that day...if you know what I mean..haha...


Jacinth joined us at night at Ikea for dinner...

Anyway, can't believe that it has been one week since exams ended. Felt like it has become some distant figment of my past now.

Holidays have been enjoyable as usual but these feel days I've been feeling rather guilty actually, especially for the fact that I didn't go for my aunt's charity event (which I cancelled last minute). Hmm,I know it's quite unfair if I start justifying myself 'cos I'm really in the wrong here but I just didn't feel like going.

Sigh..anyways, didn't know that the feeling of guilt could be so overwhelming. It isn't just about my aunt's event but many other things. Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't be treating ___ the way I am treating him/her now. Can't help but say it out 'cos it's been on my mind for some time.


Anyway, I'll just stick to enjoying my holiday as much as I can...

My Wedding

HAHA. I wish. Not so soon (and maybe not ever) anyway...but my aunt gave me this bridal bouquet from her friend's wedding. I thought she caught the bouquet but turns out that the bride was so busy that she forgot to throw the bouquet. So she gave it to the bridesmaid (my aunt) instead.


Anyway, I'm soooooo happy (and relieved) that exams are over and HOLIDAYS are here! Christmas is in the air! :D

Previously, I didn't understand why everyone was already into the Christmas spirit cos I didn't really feel it until my exams were over. I got all revved up when my mum and her sisters started bursting out into Christmas carols and planning for the family Christmas party after dinner last night. Really hope that they will carry out what they have been discussing cos it seems like nobody wants to take the lead and be the coordinator.

Anyway, thank God that exams are over, seriously! I mean, it's quite hard to come up with a decent essay in the span of 2 hours, compared to JC days where one can churn essays in the short timespan of an hour. It kinda seems impossible now; it's like asking me to start a rusty engine.

One thing I learnt from the exams: never clump 2 examinable modules in 1 day. Initially, I did that cos I thought it was like O and A Levels. 2 papers, write a bit more in 1 day and it won't kill you, and you're done! But I was so wrong! The rigour is more than that, plus the memory work...

Anyway, I achieved a remarkable first for my exams on the first day, which was Psychology paper. I arrived 5-10 minutes late. Plus, I was in such a hurry getting my pencil case and whatnot that I forgot my matric card when I rushed to my seat which was 394857km far from where my bag was so, I had to "Amazing Race" all the way back when the invigilator told me to get it in the middle of exams. Thank God I managed to not only finish my paper in time but I could actually check through everything again. And I find it pretty amusing that the first question for my short-answer question was " Why do we have 2 eyes?" XD

Anyway, what's done is done. I can only pray that I'll do reasonably well, especially for Bio. I'll just settle with materialising my post-exam plans, of which I have been dreaming about for a long time. Actually, most of them are plans that have been carried forward from the previous holiday, which I have either not got the chance to bring it to fruition, or I just can't get enough of it. So, I'm planning on scouring for interesting recipes in the hopes of bringing new food items on our boring, "all-you-can-see-is-takeaway-food" dinner table. Other than that, I wanna read! I wanna exercise and shed some pounds! I (have to) get Christmas presents! Meet up with friends! Spend time with family! Watch more movies!

Busy eh? OK, probably not as bad as other people but I hope that this holiday will be more fruitful than my past 8 months of idling before Uni started, not that it was pure idling but it felt like I was hit by one whole wave of activities then. Hopefully, this Christmas would be more meaningful too.

God, please lengthen the holidays so that January 11th would not come so soon!

Tonight You Belong To Me

Love her voice! It's not the typical contemporary, power-packed voices you hear today (not saying that they're bad though)but it's very soothing and mellow. Plus, it takes on a slightly saccharine quality. Fits the song perfectly! :D

In The Aeroplane Over the Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel Cover)

After hearing many different renditions, I think this is one of the best although the video quality is quite bad. He has quite a unique, hill-billy voice plus the guitar-playing is not bad.

News reader cannot stop laughing at model falling over!

Not being mean but the model looked as if she was balancing on 6-inch heels. I was laughing at the way the news anchors laughed (or rather, hissed) actually...

News Blooper: News10 Halloween Prank Scares Morning Anchors!

I literally burst out laughing to the screen when I saw this...made me feel so much better! :D

George Bush worst Freudian Slip in history on TV! must see!

This is really good! My Psych lecturer showed this to us, amongst others, while explaining what a Freudian Slip is :D

Reflections...

Heylo! Feels like I'm cut off from the world and my friends cos I haven't been seeing them much, save a few. Thank God that my (beloved) baby brother recovered from his bout of Dengue Fever! It was quite scary cos he collapsed into my room last Monday night after relieving himself in the wee hours of the morning. At that point, he wasn't even aware that he went into the wrong room and he was so pale and totally unconscious so we rushed him to the hospital. He had to take his O Levels there but at least he's much better now. Thanks for all your prayers and support! :)

As for school, I'm feeling very relieved today cos I've finally finished my 2 projects which I procrastinated about beforehand. The holiday yesterday sorta helped speed things up.

Can't wait for December holidays to come (Have I mentioned it already?). It's getting sorta monotonous...there's really nothing interesting that can happen except maybe the occasional highs and lows you experience upon getting back your test results or assignments. Hmm...maybe it's just me. Just don't feel like being so involved and committed to activities outside the normal curriculum time compared to secondary school and JC. Of course it's good to widen your social networks, get to know more people, try out new experiences, etc but for now, I don't really have the time, and maybe the mood, to get rah-rah about stuff. Maybe in the subsequent years?

This leads me to a nagging thought that I occasionally ponder about. Sometimes I think that I give people the impression that I study a lot and that I'm only concerned about school stuff and neglect other things in the process. It's like they perceive me as a high achiever and that my studies are my top priority in life but it's not totally true.

No doubt I value the importance of education but I do recognise that it's not the only important thing in my life. The thing that keeps me motivated to continue studying and achieving my academic goals is based (mostly) on the fact that I do not want to disappoint my mum cos she has invested so much in ensuring that I receive quality education and I know she'll worry incessantly if I'm not doing well. Also, that's my main role right now: being a student.

Then again, it doesn't mean that I won't find time to have fun and chill out or pursue other activities cos I do! In fact, sometimes I have the tendency to enjoy too much to the point that I neglect my studies :S

By fulfilling your role, you're also honouring God by doing your best in wherever you are based and being a good testimony to the people around you and through it, you learn to depend on God more as you find that certain things can't be accomplished solely on human strength alone so, in a way, your relationship with God would be stronger. Of course, when you concentrate too much on a certain goal, you would inevitably have lesser time for other stuff. There'll be times (in fact many, many times) when I feel that I'm not serving God as much as I would like by not being actively involved in church activities.
Maybe right now, my ministry would be helping the people around me as much as I can by being there for them as much as possible. In essence, being in touch with them especially when they need you the most. Sounds easy but it can be challenging to even avail yourself to make time for others...

Then again, I don't really see the need to justify my actions to people who see me as such. I am only accountable to God and I will act accordingly if He deems my present actions unfit.

OK. Enough of the heavy stuff.

Last Sunday, Er Yi and Co. fulfilled another desire of mine! :D:D Previously, they satiated my craving for D24 Durians from the EXACT durian stall that I wanted to go to at Joo Chiat. Now, they saved me A WHOLE lot of trouble by bringing me to the Bedok outlet of Botak Jone's! I didn't know that they had an outlet at Bedok and I was "desperate" enough to travel all the way to Toa Payoh just to taste how it's like!

The food is really good and it comes at a reasonable price. The Cheese Potato Salad and both the Cajun Chicken and Black Pepper Chicken is perfect although the coleslaw was average. Didn't get a chance to try the Beef meals though, although one thing's for sure: I'll be going back for more! :D:DPictures from Google

Simple Plan Interview on The Noose

Like it that Chua Enlai can do this with such a straight face! Even Pierre, the frontman of "Simple Plan" cannot hold back his grins! :D

Say Goodnight and go! :D

Yay! It's Friday! This week really sucked the energy and the brain cells and the creative juices out of me (not that I had much of the latter anyway!) but thank God for the grades I received for my Psych test and Lit assignment, even though I was kinda disappointed for my Psych test grade initially. Speaking of Psych, I'm not sure why Psych tutorials are getting kinda boring. In fact, I think I learnt more in Soci tutorial than in Psych man....

It's already halfway through the first semester already, can't wait for December to come even though it looks like I won't be going overseas after all :(

Had my Bio Food safety and security presentation today and I feel VERY relieved that it's finally over after all the meetings and consolidation of research and powerpoint slides. Looking back, I can say that I'm quite fortunate to have responsible and mature project mates. The fact that all of them were Year 3s yielded more pros than cons and I really enjoyed the insights they provided and how anal they were in ensuring that our research findings would link back to the question.
Compared to PW in JC (which was a nightmare!), this was quite a breeze cos EVERYONE did their part and met the deadlines that was set and EVERYONE contributed rather actively during meetings and most importantly, followed up on what was discussed so for that I don't mind going the extra mile to consolidate the powerpoint slides for them.

Was quite nervous before the presentation and it didn't help that the guys said that they have never presented to a lecture in their 3 years in Uni before. However, all 4 of them did really well for their presentations and it made me feel more confident. Quite a good experience, considering that this was my maiden project presentation for Uni so thanks to David, Kuan Hui, Deepti and most of all, Elizabeth! (if you ever stumble on this post in the first place!) Your guidance, advice and cooperation in seeing the project come to fruition was greatly appreciated! :D

Special appreciation to Elizabeth for your friendship, your insights and your reassurance on certain matters. I really enjoyed yesterday! :)

Next week would be a better week, deadline for Soci assignment's shifted due to Deepavali and deadline for Lit assignment's shifted to next month! WOOHOO!

Guess I'm boring you with school again...anyway, for now, these are the movies I wanna catch rather badly, in no particular order of merit:

(1) Gerard Butler in "RocknRolla" and maybe "Nim's Island"

(2) Russell Wong in "Joy Luck Club" (even though he's only playing a minor role)

(3) TWILIGHT! CAN'T WAIT! =)

(4) "Pirates of the Caribbean 4" and Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" (Johnny Depp!)

And for now, lemme leave you with some food for thought:

'Was just thinking today about the mechanics of the MRT train. All of you would know that there are 2 cabins on each end of the train for the driver to operate the MRT right? Have you ever thought of what would happen if 2 drivers stepped on the accelerator at both ends of the same train at the same time?

SPLAT! in your face, off my chest.

Hello lonely, virtual world! I'm taking a break from my Psych Mid-term Paper now which is actually due tomorrow but I am quite clueless as to how to present my argument properly. It has to do with the controversial topic of Schizophrenia and Genes but, enough of that!

Here's a quick review of the exciting things happening this month:

-Soci test next week (praying very hard for a miracle)

-Lit test the following week as well as the much-dreaded Bio presentation-hope my group will come up with something engaging and interactive for the LECTURE (yes, I still can't get over the fact that at least 100 over people will be peering at us)

-3rd week would be, in my terms, the calm before the storm cos...

-I have 3 deadlines for the 4th week (1 project submission and 2 mid-term papers)

Anyway, guess this would be the typical schedule for most students so, I'm not complaining...

Other than that, I have been pondering over the meaning of my existence in Life(OoOo...) What I mean is, I wanna do something that is out of the extraordinary like skydiving or having a picnic in the wild or exploring exotic places, anything else besides studying and working for the next few years of my life! And I'm wondering if I'm feeling this way due to the limitations which our small island nation inevitably brings about.

Guess I'm feeling this way because:

(1) Train/Bus rides to school is like a vacuum where I can think of any random thing and unfortunately, I ended up on this miserable topic.

(2)I've been watching Imogen Heap's vblogs about her life. It's like she's so involved in so many things: flying to places and performing here and there, furnishing her house and setting up her studio, discovering a beautiful meadow while jogging, collaborating with musicians for her new songs (in which she has total control over its creative input. You should just see how creative she can be in thinking of new sounds to add to her songs and this really make listening to her songs more meaningful), giving parties, the list goes on...

It's not that I envy her lifestyle but I wish that I can be as creative as her, making new things and actually feeling satisfied with what I created and enjoying the things she does...makes me think about when I would actually fulfil my dreams since childhood like playing the violin and dancing (don't laugh ok...)
Moreover, I really enjoy looking at the way she dresses, which really deviates from the norm (in a good way) and making those Bugis Street tweenagers and Haji Lane wannabes pale in comparison. Sometimes I wanna just go out there, dressing the way I want, not how I am now, and not being conscious of the looks Singaporeans might give but guess I'm too "chicken" to really dare to be different!

Anyway, I should come back down to Earth and tell you about how my food cravings seem to be getting the better of me. Last night, I dreamt that Emil/Wakin Chau ate zi char with me at the coffeeshop. There were many people who asked for his autograph while we were eating and I don't know why but he started singing "Peng You" (aka. "Friends" in Chinese, which was quite a popular hit then and now) and dashing through the food stalls, giving high-fives with the food vendors a la concert style.
And then there was this one night that I dreamt that Duc bought super yummy D24 durians for me. Er Yi satisfied my craving the following week after my dream...(a case of my liquid dreams solidifying at last?)

Haha..anyway, time to put on my trendy (and overworked) thinking cap! :D

Ps: Happy Hari Raya everyone! Especially Dhabitah! (you have no idea how much I miss your rendang and ketupat and chocolate cookies! Maybe I'll dream of them next!)

Pps: My brother recently extracted 2 teeth cos he's getting braces soon and his literally bloody, prehistoric-looking fangs are really starting to get on my nerves cos he just leaves it on public display in front of the CPU and keyboard as if it's some rare discovery of neanderthal man...

Tomorrow officially marks the start of Recess Week. Hope the days wouldn't pass that fast as I have much to catch up on for my readings. I've been sleeping a lot whenever I have the time and I don't know whether it's just me cos everytime I'm taking public transport from one place to another, I will automatically be in snooze mode. It's like I'm conditioned to sleep whenever I'm in the bus/MRT...

Today was good as usual. I enjoy Sundays a lot due to church and stuff but I particularly cherish the time we spent after church having lunch as a family, travelling to far-flung places in Singapore to sample good food (although they might be a little overrated at times). Today, Eryi wanted Bak Kut Teh so we ended up at a Sin Ming coffeeshop but things became interesting when we went to the famous Roti Prata shop nearby. Previously, I was wishing with all my might that someone would say that they want Roti Prata, cos we passed by the famous Prata Shop on the way to Bak Kut Teh, and my wish turned to reality with the help of Eryi! :D


Okok...I know it's unhealthy and I know I already had Duck Rice but I couldn't resist! For prata, I can do anything! (Ok, almost anything....)

Saturday's live recording at Steph and Gwen's church was great. Worship was good! The singers are fantastic, I think they are super charismatic man. My church feels so conservative compared to them (No offence though, Evangelites! I enjoy worship in Evangel a lot too!) The only problem I had was that we stood for quite a long time and my feet really hurt. [Plus Steph the meanie didn't allow me to sit down leh! HAHA!] And Gwen did a really great job dancing. Wish I could be as flexible and natural as her man!

Anyway, I think worship is really such an important part of church man. It really sets the mood and prepares us for the sermon and it really connects to you on another level which words really can't (if you get what I mean).
Worship doesn't have to be very extravagant with complex musical arrangements and stuff as proven by Ai Ping's cell group. As long as you worship with a sincere heart, a longing for God to minister to us and such, then I think it has served its purpose. Recently in church, we had worship after the sermon when we would usually have altar call. The worship itself was so impactful that there was no need for an altar call then cos the altar call WAS the worship itself. I don't know why but it was so powerful then. The presence of God was so strong then that tears just flowed. Worship can heal and remove the painful wounds of the past that Time is unable to....

my space! my voice!

Taking a breather from my Bio project which is sort of due tomorrow. Went to Lee Kong Chian Reference Library just now after vainly searching Tampines Library and the Central Library in school for the past 3 days. Is Global Warming and food supply and security really that foreign a topic such that the libraries do not carry books on them? Anyway, Lee Kong Chian did not fail me today...just hope that my research would be of use to the group man...

On another note, I was in high spirits yesterday cos I bumped into Jie Min outside LT11 yesterday! Have not seen her for so long and just when I least expected to see her, she appeared! Haha,miss her so much! Anyway,we were just talking about the upcoming netball league organised by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and I really hope we can participate in it man (provided I have enough time...) Hopefully the no-guys rule would apply then cos it's still unfair for guys to be in netball (think one-man shows and all).

Speaking about netball, I embarrassed myself unnecessarily during netball on Tuesday. While we were hanging around at the netball court, one stray soccer ball rolled into our view. Seeing that there was nothing to do and that no one seemed to be going forward to retrieve the ball, I happily kicked it to some random space. Just when I was gloating about my soccer skills to myself,I heard the owner of the ball shouting for his ball from behind me. Super pai seh!

Another reason which contributed to my jubilant and, should I say, ecstatic mood would be due to my Lit test. It was such an encouragement and I seriously thank God for it man...haha! Hope that this would replicate in my other assignments too!


It's funny what Uni can do to people socially. Ever since term started, I have been saying hi to people I do not know personally in JC even though I know them by face value. And surprisingly, they were equally spontaneous in their "Hi"s and "Bye"s too!

Recess week's coming but when there's a gain, there's a loss. Psych and Geog test on the following Monday after break and a deadline for Psych Mid-term paper 2 days after.


Can't wait for church camp next year. Quite a long wait but it's something to look forward to. It's been 2 years without church camp! Can you believe it?!?! Moreover, my mum would be joining us for the coming church camp and that makes me wanna fast forward to June 2009 man! No regrets! I don't mind skipping one whole Sem! :D

Actually there's something to look forward to this year other than church camp and that would be the possible vacations overseas. Mum and Eryi were looking at brochures to Taiwan but the one I'm more interested (and hopeful) would be the trip to Tokyo with Midori and Esther! Still praying that mum would allow man although the chances of going would be quite slim...

Tundra, Taiga and something for the girls!

Pastor Lim's sermon today got me reminiscing about Geography all over again. Hmm, maybe reminiscing isn't the right word to use, considering that it WAS an examinable subject but still, Nature never fails to surprise us time and again, especially when all we see in Singapore are engineered parks and "fake" trees and shrubs everywhere (Credit goes to NParks still for making Singapore such a FINE city! hiak hiak hiak!)

It's no surprise that Pastor Lim refers to Nature for his analogies most of the time, especially in recent weeks. Nature, in all its humble glory, seems to teach us things that we humans tend to overlook at times. How we should face adversity, how we should unlock our potential and live our dreams even though we may think it's impossible at times,etc....

Won't talk about school for now so, to end off nicely, some pictures of my latest Asian find, inspired (or should I say, brainwashed) by Midori!


YAMAPI EVERYBODY! :D
And compare these gorgeous pictures with that of his kiddy, Cloud Nine, happy-clappy yesteryears! See how much he has grown man! I'm so proud of him! :D


Pretty in pink (NOT!)

Choose your caption:

1. "My little pony, everybody!"

2. "Someday my prince will come (on a puny poodle)"

3. Let's fight animal cruelty together. Save a dog. Save a life.

Ok, now for some refresher pictures in case you, like me, are on the verge of forming the impression that Japanese guys exude more feminine qualities than the female species. It is only natural that I would show you pictures that are more,hmm...masculine...haha!

Haha...enough of Tomohisa Yamashita for now. Seems like the focus of this post (the Tundra/Taiga, in case you're too smitten that you've forgotten already) is drifting to Yamapi, which should not really be the case!

Anyway, I just realised the reason behind my sudden fascination with this Yamapi guy: he has an uncanny resemblance to Russell Wong of The Mummy 3 fame. Serious!

For the record.....

Russell Wong!

OK..maybe a much-younger Nippon-ised version of Russell Wong la!

Shit. Now I look boy-crazy.

yamapi: hi! dis ish yamapi! heard from my singaporoo friend that you've been fantasizin about me
mi-dori ~ yamapi: hiiiii yamapi, altho i know u only exist in my fantasies, nice to know u took time out of ur busy schedule to read my pathetic blog. ahah!! I LIKE YOU! LOL. [happy now sy??!!! =P]

yamapi: of course! euu hab been sucha fadeful memberu of NEWS,midori-san! hope to meetchu when we come to singaporoo soon..see you at the singaporoo dome aka esplanade!

mi-dori ~ yamapi: dude, we dont wanna cause an uproar here in sunny island s'pore. hahaa!! why ur language like so ah beng?! hhahaa!! hurry come to singapore!!! and dont forget to CALL me when you do ya? =DDD

Talk about fantasizing man...

Heifner and Badenberg!

This week has been an eye-opener for me. Tutorials have started and I'm more or less quite adapted to the environment. I was late for Sociology tutorial on Tuesday which started at 8am, partly cos I didn't know there was a short cut to the seminar room and so I ended up shedding more calories due to the many more flights of steps I could have avoided if I had taken the shorter route. Anyway, I was glad that it started off on the right note cos our tutor got the ball rolling by engaging us in an interesting project. [The tutor was as animated as Ms. Kon but the latter's still the best!]

Back to the project. In our groups, we had to go out on campus and do something that was "out of the norm." Basically, we had to be like the crew in "Just for Laughs" and observe our subjects' reactions.
My group wasn't really that sporty compared to the other groups so we did simple stuff like waving and doing chicken dances to passing buses at the bus-stop.
We got more adventurous and headed for the Engin canteen. It was relatively empty at that time and people were scattered in random 4-seater tables everywhere as expected, having their meals. We spotted the perfect subject: a middle-aged woman eating peacefully alone in the centre of the canteen. The 3 of us walked up to her and took our places on all sides of her and before we could say a word, she gave us a dirty look, took up her plate and walked off, staring at us as if we were lunatics!

I really liked what one of the other groups did, which was to offer to carry food for people, who just bought their food, to their tables. The latter, as expected, gave them questioning looks but allowed them to do so nonetheless. It was when the group decided to sit with the subject at his table and begged the subject [who was quite stunned by then] to share the food with them that he was truly dumbfounded. One of the subjects actually gave them 5 bucks to get food for themselves!

Anyway, it was a good start for tutorial and after attending a few more classes from other modules, it made me realise many things:People here are much more eloquent, hard-working and competitive than I thought they would be and by that I mean active participation in discussion forums (Just by looking at the number of emails in my mailbox regarding forum alerts would be enough to make me STOP AND STARE!), active participation in class (some of my classmates look like potential debate material, one would have to think very hard before one could come up with a good point to rebut them), not forgetting the number of people who are actually mugging now for major exams, which are in November/December if I don't count the mid-sem tests! Just look at the Central Library!

Hmm...maybe I'm thinking too much but I've heard people mentioning that they have gone through their readings and are now proceeding on to further readings in order to understand their modules better! Who said life would be more relaxed after JC?

Moreover, most of them seemed to be more serious and mature and though they are quite witty and humorous at times, it just ain't the same anymore. It's not like we can be as free and happy as we want to, like in secondary school or even JC. It's like what they taught us in Sociology: people in that social setting are following an inherent code of conduct which is expected of everyone and when one decides to exhibit behaviour that fails to comply with what everyone is doing, they are labelled as a deviant.

Maybe one good thing that came up out of all this so-called culture shock and kiasu, competitive (and probably obssessive) behaviour would be that I've learnt to depend on God more. He gave me the assurance that even though such shit happens, as long as we know what we're doing and take things step by step, depending on His strength all the time, we can make it :)

The best idol auditions around the world

A MUST-SEE for those who adore William Hung! Can't believe there are people out there who are worse than him!! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

sorry for the incoherent writing...

Back! My timetable for the semester's finalised and I'm more or less quite happy with it. No school on Thursdays (and maybe Fridays!) for me :D

I'm embarking on a RIGOROUS exercise regime soon! Got motivated by Shannon and army guys like Nat man...they're so much slimmer now! Anyways, I think I might lose a little bit of weight even without consciously exercising cos school is on uneven ground and so,many steps=lesser fats!


Anyway, I think God had a reason for creating Birthdays:to remind us that there are people who care for us and make us feel special at least once in 365 days. Sometimes we tend to forget the people in our lives due to our busy schedules and as we advance into the years, we'll usually concentrate our efforts on a smaller group of friends and "forget" about the people we knew when we were younger.

I was pleasantly surprised when I received birthday wishes from unexpected people cos I thought they wouldn't bother to remember, and considering that this is sorta like a transition period for many (eg. getting ready or assimilating into school,work or army or even preparing for school/national exams),they would probably forget so, thanks for all those who wished me! You know who you are (if you are even reading this!) Haha!


Besides that, I'm especially thankful for the cheapskate clan who always have something up their cheapskate sleeves! HAHA! (you know I don't mean it!)

Cui treated me to a 6-course fusion lunch and brought me for a facial! (Still can't believe she actually brought me there!) Joan and Ai Ping surprised me near "Giraffe" at Dhoby Ghaut with a mango cake [Joan, I don't have enough carotenoids issit?!?!] and Sze Yee treated me to a ride on the Singapore Flyer! [I wouldn't have paid the full 30 bucks to go for a 30-minute ride man]

And Midori, Jas and Mich were so sweet to call me and sing Happy Birthday. They took a bus down to Plaza Sing to meet me later on. Reached home at 11 plus at night where I had another pleasant surprise. My family actually waited for me to reach home to celebrate with me! I had no idea!


AND...I really didn't expect that Ai Ping's cell group would give me a birthday surprise also [except that Uncle Chee Min sort of spolit the surprise! HAHAHA!!]

Aunty Sai Khim: Everybody come here! I teach you all how to wash the dishes and not dirty the sink next time! [At this point, they were supposed to take out the cake]


Uncle Chee Min: Eh? I thought we were supposed to take out the cake now? XD

[American Idol Live Tour '08] David Archuleta - Apologize

Don't usually follow American Idol but David Archuleta's version of "Apologise" was too good!

Like it when he injects so much feeling when it comes to the chorus,especially when he lingers on the word "apologise!" 8)

Twilight teaser trailer OFFICIAL HD

You'll be hooked! :D:D

Can't believe I'm doing this but since I'm free and I got tagged by Midori to do it, here goes...

(1) If the person who hurt you the most recently apologized, you would say…
I would forgive the person and explain why I'm feeling that way so that he/she wouldn't do it again.

(2) Do you still talk to the last person you kissed?
Of course! That's my sis...

(3) Are you a morning person or a night?
Night...

(4) Are you there for your friends?
Of course!!! [I hope I am...haha]

(5) Are you a forgiving person ?
Most of the time, yes in general

(6) Do you smoke on the regular?
I HATE SMOKING! The smell puts me off...

(7) Are you mad at anyone now?
Probably myself

(8) Are you an aunt/uncle?
Wish I was but even if someone had to be aunt/uncle in my family, the title would most probably go to my siblings first. [hopefully...haha!]

(9) Who was the last person you ate with?
My g12 people!

(10) Who was the last person you talked on the phone with?
That would be Stephanie Chung...haha!

(11) What is something that you do daily that your friends might not know?
Hmm..nothing unusual, unless you count the fact that I have a habit of packing my clothes cupboard all over again everytime I see so much as one shirt being out of place.

(12) Are you feeling uneasy about something lately?
Yeah...my future

(13) Do you have plans for your friends next birthday?
Should be...I always have plans...hahaha...

(14) Where are your top three friends right now?
Huh...such a general question...where are they at the moment (eg.shopping) or where are they in their lives now?

(15) Ever punched somebody or been punched?
Both! Many times with my brother when we were much younger as well as once when I was in primary school. This stupid guy had no regard for girls and I thought I should teach him a lesson so we had a physical fight. Much hair-pulling,kicking,scratching and punching involved but I ended it with a grand finale at a very appropriate area :D

(16) Do you want children?
Yeah! At least 2 kids, no gender preference

(17) You’re in the hospital, who of your friends would come visit you?
If the cheapskate clan doesn't come, I think I'll die right there in my hospital bed. Besides that, of course, hopefully, the people whom I regularly keep in touch with...

(18) Anyone from your past come to mind often?
Hmm...occasionally...

(19) Are you a happy person?
I hope I am...haha...

(20) Is your coming birthday on a holiday?
Nooooo!!! But I have no school on that day [which is just around the corner].

(21) If you had one wish for your best friends what would it be?
That they will be happy and healthy always so that I do not have to worry about them :)

(22) Could you ever be in a long distance relationship?
Hmm..that's hard but possible. It will be a good test of our loyalty and commitment.

(23) Do you have good grades?
Average. Not outstanding.

(24) Does anyone like you?
Yeah, my family and friends :P

(25) What did you last eat?
Chocolate cake and chocolate milk for brunch!

(26) What are you wearing right now?
Heh heh..my PJs..I just got up not long ago...

(27) Where is your handphone?
In front of me

(28) What are you looking forward to for this coming week?
A ride on the Singapore Flyer sponsored by Sze Yee :D:D

(29) What's your favorite subject?
Easy! English and English Lit.

(30) What's something you really want right now?
Maybe a laptop [so that I don't have to fight with my brother to use the com] and to either get my mp3 fixed or get a new one if the cost of repairing it proves too much.

(31) Did you buy something new?
New clothes for school! :D

(32) What color is your hair?
All Black. All Natural. No Chemicals. Pure, virgin hair :P

(33) Do you find yourself loved?
Very. Couldn't be more blessed :)

(34) If given another chance to love a person again, would you do so?
If seen in a romantic context, then it has to be no as relationships from the past are meant to be lessons for future relationships.

(35) What are you doing aside from this?
Listening to music. Blog-hopping.

4 people being tagged are: Sze Yee, Louis, My sister,Sam.


Now for updates!

School so far has been OK...saw some familiar people here and there. The lecturers are an assorted bunch: some are very charismatic whilst others should just read bedtime stories to their kids [if they even have any]. I'm quite worried about the workload but, by God's Grace, I can do it! (I'm saying this with much conviction to psycho myself actually). Can't wait for tonight! Out with Yeeeeee! :)

theme: psychadelic

Cui must have heaved a big sigh of relief after the thing ended cos she was so stressed up over the whole thing, rushing here and there to make sure everything's OK.

Pre-party preparations

Voila! All dressed up for the theme!

Miss you all loads! [plus Dhab...Didn't forget you!]

Double happinessThe Bar area.

See how stressed Cui is. Contrast that with Constance and her boyfriend...haha!

Sadly, this event seems to be the object of everyone's affections that night [especially Mingxiu!]

The final result after the many minutes of toiling hard under the moonlightCui teaching the couples the dancesteps for Rock n' Roll

Cui happily performing her "Qi Shi Er Bian" with her church friends..haha!

The song item we did for Cui: Practised a few times before the big day but there were still some blunders here and there. Anyway, Cui likes it, that's all that matters! :D
Thanks for the pictures Yee! :D

Happy Birthday Cui!!!

School starts tomorrow! Although I'm starting later than the others, I'm still feeling a tinge of anxiety (OK, A LOT actually!).

Read a couple of blogs and it seems like most people feel the same way as I do too! I'm not alone! haha!

OK,at least Joan is with me for the first lecture tomorrow! :)