Sunday, September 23, 2007

Some questions answered just coz i felt bored.

i) grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. write down what it says: "The sample standard deviation is defined to be..." -- Thank goodness they didn't say line 5, or I'd have hell typing out the whole line of equation. Of all things the book nearest to me had to be Stats. -_-"

ii)stretch your left arm out as far as you can. what do you touch first? Yi Lun's study table.

iii)what is the last thing you watched on tv? Some travel programme about Turkey. Travel programme! I want to travel!!

iv)guess what the time is:545pm
now look at the clock, what is the actual time?539pm. I'm hungry!

v)with the exception of the computer, what can you hear? My fan.

vi)when did you last step outside? what were you doing? Yesterday evening. I was having dinner and looking at entertainment ;)

vii)before you came to this website, what did you look at? My email inbox.

iix)what are you wearing? A pink cotton blouse and shorts. Do I need to be more specific?

ix)did you dream last night? Yes.

x)when did you last laugh? Yesterday, quite a bit. =)

xi)what is/are on the walls of the room you are in? So many things! Bulletin board in front of me, Peke's portrait, whiteboard, puzzle.

xii)what book are you currently reading? A mixture of Stats, Linguistics, Malay... Do you want me to go on? I can see your eyes glazing over. Either that, or you laughing and telling me to get a life and be serious. =)

xiii)what is the last book you finished? The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides. Disturbing book.

xiv)if you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first? Pay off Evon and Yi Lun's school fees.

xv)tell me something about you that i don't know: Uhm. I talk in my sleep?

xvi)if you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would it be? That Pandora never opened the box.

xvii)do you like to dance? NO. I can't co-ordinate my body to save my life. But I do like to see people dance.

xviii)what is the last thing you ate or drank? Funny you should ask. I just drank water.

xix)imagine your first child to be a girl, what do you call her? Not sure, something with a Si or a Min. Haha I'm partial to those 2 words, but PLEASE not Si Min. =S

xx)imagine your first child to be a boy, what do you call him? Joshua! or Ethan! Haha I always liked those 2 names. =)

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Random Ramblings Again

Haha I couldn't think of a good title for this entry, so just titled it thus. And anyway, I have a few things to talk about, so I just came up with that. They are random, anyway.

So. Some of you know that Yi Lun left yesterday. I was expecting to cry, but I didn't expect my tears to come so late. I thought I'd cry like long before she boarded the plane, but the tears came just before she boarded. I guess I was still in denial that she's really going to leave. It's hard imagining someone who has lived with you for 19 years going away, and this time, it's not going away for some one-week camp- it's 9 months. Many people say 9 months will pass very fast, and that we'll be too busy to think of each other in any case. I agree with that, but, there's no denying the fact that someone close to you is going to embark on another journey, another chapter of her life, without you by her side knowing what she's thinking, how she's feeling, when she's been doing that all the time for the past 19 years. Haha, I'll really miss her, you know. Who's going to laugh at all the stupid things that I say or think about? And who's going to listen to me talking and talking and just being patient with me (though she does show her impatience...) I know I've mentioned it before, but just in case she reads this entry, at least I can stroke her ego a bit. Haha... Anyway, I digress. I do hope she makes good friends over there, and that she can adapt to the environment there quickly. Tay Lun if you read this, jiayou k! Don't be scared, things will turn out fine. Anyway, you have Xinyi and Paula there to look out for you. =)

Ok on to my second point now. I've written an entry on this before, about chivalry, and I'm glad to say again, that chivalry's not dead! I was on the MRT just now, and there was a seat behind me, a middle-aged lady on my left, and a 50+ man on my right. I knew he wanted the seat, cos he'd been walking around looking for one. But when there was the seat in front of him, he offered to the lady first before taking the seat when she rejected. Hmm I think some of you are wondering why he didn't ask me (or not), but my guess is that it's cos she's older than me, and youngsters are seen to be more healthy than their elders? But my point here is that AT LEAST HE OFFERED the seat. It's rather seldom that you see men giving up seats for ladies on buses and trains these days. Sure, you see youngsters giving up seats for the elderly, the pregnant women and those who need the seats. But with equality of the sexes, some people tend to forget about chivalry. I'm not trying to be a feminist here. I'm trying to point out that though there may be equality in sexes now, everyone appreciates a gentleman or a chivalrous person.

And my last ramble would be about travelling to school. My first day travelling to school early in the morning and I've reinforced my conviction that I'm better off staying in hall. Besides the newly added bonus of staying in hall (*winks*), the travelling time and the distance and the time I have to wake up are insane. Just for a 930am class, I have to wake up at an unearthly hour of 630am. I haven't woken this early since JC days. And to travel to NTU takes 1 1/2 hours. Added to the fact that it's rush hour to and from the school, I've gotta squeeze with so many more people and it's hard to find your own space to stand. And I'm paranoid about being pickpocketed. -_-" Lucky we decided to go for the 130pm class tomorrow, so I don't have to wake up earlier tomorrow. And I can have lunch at home! Yay!

Ok, I'm going to do my work now. Been really really slack. Argh. And you know what? Time passes slower at home than in hall. Makes you wonder where time flies to, doesn't it? =)

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

When God Made Women

I found this on my friend's blog, and found it really sweet. If I was undergoing hormonal changes, I'd probably be bawling my eyes out at this already, seeing as I am still feeling a bit weepy, for those who know what day this is. But this entry is not about the event that's going to happen. This entry is about the following:

When God Made Women
The time the Lord made women, he was into his 6th day of working overtime.
An Angel appeared and said, "why are you spending so much time on this one?".

And the Lord answered and said,
"Have you seen the specsheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have 200 movable parts, all replaceable, run on black coffee and leftovers,
have a lap that can hold three children at one time and that disappears when she stands up, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart and have six pairs of hands."

The Angel was astounded at the requirements for this one."Six pairs of hands! No Way!", said the Angel.
The Lord replied,
"Oh, it's not the hands that are the problem.
It's the three pairs of eyes that women must have!".

"And that's just on the standard model?" the Angel asked.
The Lord nodded in agreement.
"Yep, one pair of eyes are to see through the closed door as she asks her children what they are doing even though she already knows.
Another pair in the back of her head are to see what she needs to know even though no one thinks she can.
And the third pair are here in the front of her head.
They are for looking at an errant child and saying that she understands and loves him or her without even saying a single word."

The Angel tried to stop the Lord.
"This is too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish."

But I can't!", the Lord protested,
"I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart."
She already heals herself when she is sick and
can feed a family of six on a pound of hamburger and
can get a nine year old to stand in the shower."

The Angel moved closer and touched the woman,
"but you have made her so soft Lord."
"She is soft", the Lord greed, "but I have also made her tough."
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?", asked the Angel.
The Lord replied,
"not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason, and negotiate."

The Angel then noticed something and reached out and touched the woman's cheek.
"Oops, it looks like you have a leak with this model."
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."
That's not a leak," the Lord objected,
"that's a tear!"
"What's the tear for?" the Angel asked.
The Lord said,
"the tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her loneliness, her grief, and her pride."

The Angel was impressed.
"You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything, for women are truly amazing."

Women have strengths that amaze men.
They carry children, they carry hardships,
they carry burdens but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up for injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without new shoes so their children can have them.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about a birth or a new marriage.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They have sorrow at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all sizes, in all colors and shapes.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run to you to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world spin.
They bring joy and hope.
They give compassion and ideals.
They have so much to give.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Photocopy Machines

Did you ever wonder why some people describe photocopy machines as "spitting" out paper?

Frankly, I never wondered why photocopy machines were described like this until I went to the photocopy shop just now to print more questionnaires. I was just stoning and waiting for my questionnaires to be printed when I realised that the part where the paper comes out looks like a mouth, and when the paper comes out, it looks like- you guessed it- the paper is being spat out of the printer! Cool, eh? I think I even managed to see the "tongue" pushing the paper out. Haha, so entertaining right? Never thought the photocopy would give me such a revelation today, particularly when I was feeling a bit bored about nothing to do but stare into space coz of the long queue and long wait.

So there you have it, entertainment can be derived from anything, anywhere. Cool, isn't it? =)

Yes, and now I have to find a way to entertain myself with stats. I've been playing with it since this morning, trying to get it to like me, but... I think it still doesn't very much want to like me... =( Never mind, I shall persevere with Stats. I shall continue wooing it. Haha, maybe I'll succeed in winning its heart like Si Huan did with Sheera. Hmm....

Friday, September 14, 2007

A Mind of Its Own

Stop, slow down, take a deep breath (ooh yeah)
Stop, slow down, take a deep breath (na na na na na)
Ooh, oh

I look at you and I know you're trouble
I should run just fast as I can
One smile, game over
Here in front of you I stand
I know you're only gonna burst my bubble
Trouble is my heart don't care
It's ignoring all the danger signs
Stop, Slow down, take a deep breath, beware

I'm not willing to be so fearless, careless, just yet
Once bitten, twice shy, is what you get

My hearts got a mind of it's own
Won't listen to a word I say
Doesn't it know that I get hurt too
When it acts that way
Cos When it breaks I break
I don't know how much more of this I can take
Doesn't it know that I get hurt too
When it acts that way

Too many times I've witnessed
My heart make a fool of itself
So sure it's gonna turn out one way
Always turns out being somethin' else

My hearts got a real malfunction
Always flippin' into over ride
When I tell it to be sensible
It over rules my cynical mind

I'm not willing to be so open, transparent, no not yet
Once bitten twice shy, is what you get
(But here in front of you, there's nothin I can do)

My hearts got a mind of it's own
Won't listen to a word I say
Doesn't it know that I get hurt too
When it acts that way
Cos When it breaks I break
I don't know how much more of this I can take
Doesn't it know that I get hurt too
When it acts that way

My hearts got a mind of it's own
Won't listen to a word I say (word I say)
Doesn't it know that I get hurt too (hurt too)
When it acts that way
Cos When it breaks I break
I don't know how much more of this I can take
(I don't know how much more of this I can take)
Doesn't it know that I get hurt too
When it acts that way

Stop, slow down, take a deep breath
Think about what I'm doin'
Think about once bitten, twice shy
Stop, slow down, take a second
Before you rush right in
It's gonna be my tears you cry

My heart's got a mind of it's own (of it's own)
Won't listen to a word I say
Doesn't it know that I get hurt too
When it acts that way (when it acts that way)
Cos When it breaks I break (I break)
I don't know how much more of this I can take
(More of this I can take)
Doesn't it know that I get hurt too (get hurt too)
When it acts that way (when it acts that way)

My hearts got a mind of it's own (mind of it's own)
Won't listen to a word I say
Doesn't it know that I get hurt too
(Doesn't it know that I get hurt too)
When it acts that way (when it acts that way)
Cos when it breaks I break (Cos when it breaks I break)
I don't know how much more of this I can take
(More of this I can take)
Doesn't it know that I get hurt too
When it acts that way

My hearts got a mind of it's own
My hearts got a mind of it's own
Stop, slow down, take a deep breath
[Fade]

--- Victoria Beckham

Haha, didn't know she could sing right? I don't think very much of her voice too, but this song was rather catchy, and I've actually been wanting to find the lyrics to this song and her MP3 for a while now, but I kept forgetting to do so. So now, I have the lyrics, I'll try to find the MP3. And yes, you're right, her voice is not very good. =)But just the song and rhythm are not bad lah. If anyone knows where to find this song, tell me k!

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Morals Vs Desires

When I was taking Gothic Literature for my A Levels, I never thought twice about why the theme of Morals vs Desires was a theme in the Gothic. I just thought it was aimed at exposing the darkness of human nature, and never wondered why it was morals vs desires and not something else.

Then I was thinking about my behaviour yesterday, and I came to the conclusion that the reason why Morals vs Desires is a theme in Gothic iterature is because Gothic Literature aims at showing the bestiality of Man, and that Man is unable to separate himself from the behaviour of beasts sometimes. We often have to struggle with our desires, and measure the amount of pleasure we will get from obtaining our desires vs the possible feelings of guilt we will get if we obtain those desires against the judgment of our Morals. So, following Freud's argument, it's basically our Id vs our Superego, and the dilemma the Ego is going through, trying to make a compromise between both the extremes. It causes a big frustration, that makes it hard for the Ego to settle down to concentrate on other things. The Ego tries to protect the human from turning into either a prude or a beast, while the extremes try to turn it otherwise. The struggle between morals and desires is horrific in itself, because it shows how easily we can all turn into beasts if we are easily swayed into following our desires.

I'm not saying that the behaviour that I was considering would be particularly beastly if I were to act upon my desires. I was just thinking that I would feel rather low if I were to impose what I wanted on others, and make them do what I wanted when they themselves have their own plans, their own dreams, to chase after. Who am I to make demands to be placed as a priority. I understand everyone has to have their own plans, their own dreams, their own priorities. I'd hate it myself if I were forced to do something which I thought the other party wanted, and I wouldn't want to wish that on anyone I consider significant to me. But... sometimes when there's a struggle, a part of me just wishes I could demand, and it's at the tip of my tongue sometimes. But I can't, and I don't think I will, because the decision to change has to come from within that other party. I don't want to be the one who stands in the way of people's dreams, just because it satisfied what I wanted. I think everyone has a right to their own priorities and dreams, and I will not stand in that way. It's just not a good thing to do.

Haha, am I making sense?

Monday, September 03, 2007

What a Slacker

I've gotta get my life back in order. Been slacking too much. I must find Discipline!!

Friday, August 31, 2007

Cotton On

Just now on my way to meet Xinyi in Wisma I came across a new shop called Cotton On. It has replaced Charles and Keith I think. Looks tempting- 2 tops for $20! Ahh!!!

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Something About You- Corrinne May

Dont what you do to me but
Everytime I'm with you its a natural high
its like re-discovering Eden
with chocolate-coated rainbows and cotton candy skies
And everytime you look my way
I wish i had the guts to say


There's something in your eyes
Something in your smile
Something in the way you move me
You make me want to sing
Make me want to dance
Make me want to cry
I'm falling in love with you.


I think i'll hire Cupid
He'll make you see I'm more than your friend
You'll be tossing and turning
Counting the hours til you see me again
And when we meet you'll
Kiss my hand and say the words I've longed to hear


There's something in your eyes
Something in your smile
Something in the way you move me
You make me want to sing
Make me want to dance
I'm falling in love with you
You make me want to sing
Make me want to dance
Make me want to cry
I'm falling in love with you.


I like this song, it sounds so happy. Haha, and the tune's catchy too! =)

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

so sleepy!

in rebecca's wonderful developmental psych lab lesson now, but feeling sleepyyyyyy... bleah

i have to keep awake!!!!

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Pasta Fresca Da Salvatore

Evon, Yi Lun and I have heard that Pasta Fresca serves good Italian food, especially pasta, and thus have been wanting to visit the restaurant for a loooong time. Finally, Yi Lun and I got a chance one day. We went to the Changi Airport branch to try out their famed pasta.

The setting of Pasta Fresca is very nice, kind of like how I always imagined trattorias in Italy to look like (not that I've ever seen one, but the image conjured in my mind from the storybooks gave me those images). There's a water feature at a corner of the restaurant, and dim lighting everywhere... Kinda romantic, except I was with Yi Lun, so it can't get any more romantic than you can imagine. Haha! =) But there's no better company than family, I always say, cos you can always share the food in a way only family members can share, which is the most fuss-free and stressless way of eating.

I was sooo hungry I could eat so many things! I was so tempted to order one item from every category, but the prices gave me pause. If you'll look at the prices in the photos below, you'll understand why. So I had to cross appetisers, soups, sides, desserts and drinks off my list of desires, and concentrate on the main course. And it wasn't an easy choice. The photos were appetising, the descriptions as well. I just wanted to have them all. In the end, though, we settled on one rice dish, one pasta, and one pizza. The rice dish was cos Fish & Co was just beside Pasta Fresca, and I so love the rice that comes with the seafood platter, and I was reminded of it. For the rice dish, we had the Risotto Ala Catalana, that's made up of all kinds of seafood, like mussels, squid, prawns, and... well, you get the idea. Pasta was linguine, from the cream base category. Yi Lun wanted linguine, while I wanted the ravioli and the other type, the name of which I can't pronounce, cos they had stuffings of either mushrooms, beef or spinach (I think) inside, and I was attracted by the novelty. So our linguine was put with alfredo sauce, which came with lots of peas and ham. As for the pizza, we had the Rustica. We ordered the small pizza cos we figured we wouldn't be able to finish the food after eating the rice and pasta. How right we were!

The food arrived, and man, did they look good. The risotto looked as good as Fish & Co's, and the rice looked soft and plump. It looked promising. Until I took a bite of the rice and a bite of the prawn. I was disappointed. Firstly, I don't like treated seafood- that is, seafood that's been soaked with boric acid. It makes me feel like I'm being poisoned, and that I'm cheated of my money. I think if restaurants want to offer seafood, they should offer FRESH seafood. Secondly, the rice itself had a very strong taste of seafood- you know, the sea taste? The first few mouths were still ok, but the more I ate it, the more I found I couldn't quite swallow it. =S

Then came the linguine. Well, I was having rather high hopes for it, as Pasta Fresca's supposed to be good with pasta. It wasn't bad, just.... normal. I think Sketchers at Bugis Junction does a better job of pasta than they do. There's nothing much to say about the linguine, really, there wasn't much sauce, and after awhile of eating it, the creaminess kinda puts you off it.

The pizza... well, if I had to go back to Pasta Fresca, I'd order the pizza. Rustica pizza had spicy salami and mushrooms and cheese as its toppings. The mushrooms were fresh and juicy, and the pizza was soft yet crispy- the crust was crispy, but the base was soft- and the cheese was still sooo soft when you first eat it. Look at the picture of Yi Lun below and you'll know what I mean. The cheese didn't have the irritating Kraft cheese taste, and it wasn't too salty, just the way I like it. And the salami... A bit salty, if you ask me, but that's ok with me, cos I don't mind a bit more saltiness.

The service at Pasta Fresca? Well... I like to go to places with good service. Even if the food's passable, at least the service may be the last factor that pushes me to visit the place again. For Pasta Fresca, well sad to say, their service doesn't match up to Fish & Co's. They didn't even fill up our glasses even though our glasses were so obviously empty already. We had to indicate to them to fill up our glass on 2 occasions. So... I think I'd minus points off them for that.

Now, the photos!

Friday, August 17, 2007

Top 75 Most Annoying Things to do in an Elevator

1. When there's only one other person in the elvator, tap them on the shoulder and then pretend it wasn't you.

2. Push the buttons and pretend they give you a shock. Smile, and go back for more.

3. Ask if you can push the button for other people, but push the wrong ones.

4. Call the Psychic Hotline from your cell phone and ask if they know what floor you're on.
Even more relevant when we Psych students isn't it? ;)

5. Hold the doors open and say your waiting for a friend. After a while, let the doors close, and say, "Hi Greg. How's your day been?"

6. Drop a pen and wait until someone goes to pick it up, then scream, "That's mine!"

7. Bring a camera and take pictures of everyone in the elevator.

8. Move your desk into the elevator and whenever anyone gets on, ask if they have an apointment.

9. Lay down the twister mat and ask people if they would like to play.

10. Leave a box in the corner, and when someone gets on, ask them if they can hear ticking.

11. Pretend you are a flight attendant and review emergency procedures and exits with the passengers.

12. Ask, "Did you feel that?"

13. Stand really close to someone, sniffing them occasionally.

14. When the doors close, announce to the others, "It's okay, don't panic, they open again!"

15. Swat at flies that don't exist.

16. Tell people that you can see their aura.

17. Call out, "Group Hug!"and then enforce it.

18. Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering, "Shut up, all of you, just shut up!" Multiple personalities disorder? Haha should be hilarious to watch!

19. Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside, ask, "Got enough air in there?"
20. Stand silently and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without getting off.

21. Stare at another passenger for a while, then announce in horror, "Your one of THEM!" and back away slowly. So schizophrenic isn't it?

22. Wear a puppet on your hand and use it to talk to the other passengers.

23. Listen to the elevator walls with your stethoscope.

24. Make explosion noises when anyone presses a button.

25. Stare, grinning at another passenger for a while, then announce, "I have new socks on".

26. Draw a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers, "This is MY personal space!" Does Venus talk about personal space in class? If she does you can suggest this in class!

27. Put police tape in front of the door before entering.

28.Fart loudly when there are only two of you in the elevator. Argue vehemently that it wasn't you.

29. Hold an auction.

30. Do the "potty dance" all the way to the elevator door. Upon arrival, sigh and look greatly relieved.

31. Ask every passenger coming if you can borrow a tampon. Especially effective if victim is male. Even more effective if you yourself are male.

32. Throw a rave. I'm not sure what that is, but according to dictionary.com , it's "An all-night dance party, especially one where techno, house, or other electronically synthesized music is played."

33. Place potted plants and water fountains at strategic locations in the lift. When people ask what you are doing, tell them you "won't ride an elevator that's not fung shwei."

34. Greet everyone getting on with a warm handshake and ask them to call you "Admiral".

35. Hum the first six notes of the "It's a small world" over and over again. Oh this is really annoying, trust me! Just try this out and stop at the sixth note. Try it!

36. When you brush past someone, whisper "Was it good for you too?"

37. Lean over to another rider and whisper 'Noogie patrol coming!'"

38. Have a heated debate with yourself. This should be fun to watch. And maybe try debating about a really stupid topic, like... whether blue pens or black pens are smoother to write with.

39. Bring a melon onto the elevator. Try to sell it to the other passengers.

40. Drum on every available surface.

41. Write a big X on the elevator floor, and hand out "pirate" maps to everyone as they enter.

42. Give psychotherapy to the other passengers. Haha, we can try practising that!

43. Greet everyone coming on as if they were your best friend. Use the same name for all of them.

44. Say "ring ring," then pull a banana out of your pocket and start talking into it. Hehe sounds familiar? Who likes bananas huh? ;)

45. Propose to the other passengers. Si Huan, you can try this too, increase your variety!

46. Challenge people to duels.

47. Sell girl scout cookies.

48. Bring a large pile of ice. Build an igloo on the floor.

49. Come on looking really scared, and say to another passenger..."I'm kinda nervous...this is my first time flying..."

50. Any time someone enters the doors, recoil in horror.

51. Stick your tongue out. Act like it's a cigarette, and ask someone for a light.

52. Pitch a tent on the floor, and "camp out" for the weekend.

53. Play "I've got your nose" with the other passengers.

54. Shout "Food fight!"

55. Every time someone else talks, angrily shout: "Some people are trying to sleep here!"

56. When arriving at your floor, grunt and strain to pull the doors open, then act embarrassed when they open by themselves.

57. Lick one of the buttons. Tell the other passengers you're sick and tired of people stealing your food the second you turn your back.

58. Elevators were practically MADE for riverdance!

59. Bring a snowboard onto the elevator. Put it on. Every time the lift goes up or down, shout "WOO-YEAH! This is what I call sick air!"

60. Make sushi.

61. Press your nose against the other passengers, and say "You know, this is what the Eskimos used to do before having sex."

62. Shave. Eeew!

63. Every time the elevator goes down, loudly scream "OH MY GOD!!! We're all gonna die! This is it! This is it! It's over! IT'S OVER!!!" Look relieved when it stops moving. When you begin to drop again, repeat.

64. Ask the other passengers if they want to see your glass clown collection.

65. Practice your kung fu.

66. Make race car noises when people get on and off.

67. Ask everyone on the elevator: "Are you my mother?"

68. Fly a model airplane.

69. Do yoga.

70. Play the accordion

71. Enter the elevator with nothing on your head. Individually ask everyone if they like your hat.

72. Bring a rocking chair. Sit and knit.

73. Recite gangsta rap lyrics in monotone.

74. Enter with a shovel, and attempt to "dig for treasure."

75. Read "Green Eggs and Ham" at the top of your lungs. Sound out every word.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Love is...

What does Love mean?

A group of professional people posed
this question to a group of 4 to 8
year-olds, "What does love mean?"

The answers they got were broader and
deeper than anyone could have
Imagined. See what you think :

"When my grandmother got arthritis,
she couldn't bend over and paint her
toenails anymore. So my grand-father
does it for her all the time, even
when his hands got arthritis too.
That's love."
Rebecca- age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they
say your name is different. You just
know that your name is safe in their
mouth."
Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume
and a boy puts on shaving cologne and
they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and
give somebody most of your French
fries without making them give you any
of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when
you're tired."
Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee
for my daddy and she takes
A sip before giving it to him, to make
sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time.
Then when you get tired of kissing,
you still want to be together and you
talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like
that. They look gross when they kiss"
Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you
at Christmas if you stop opening
presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7

"If you want to learn to love better,
you should start with a friend who you
hate,"
Nikka - age 6

"Love is when you tell a guy you like
his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a
little old man who are still friends
even after they know each other so
well."
Tommy - age 6

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the
best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly
and sweaty and still says he is
handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your
face even after you left him alone all
day."
Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me
because she gives me all her old
clothes and has to go out and buy new
ones."
Lauren - age 4

"When you love somebody, your
eyelashes go up and down and little
Stars come out of you.."
Karen - age 7

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the
toilet and she doesn't think it's
gross."
Mark - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you'
unless you mean it. But if you mean
it, you should say it a lot. People
forget."
Jessica - age 8


And the final one -- Author and
lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked
About a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the contest was to find
the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child
whose next door neighbor was
An elderly gentleman who had recently
lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little
boy went into the old gentleman's
Yard, climbed onto his lap, and just
sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said
to the neighbor, the little
Boy said,

"Nothing, I just helped him cry"

Aww...

Envy

I think envy is really a poisonous emotion. Envy by itself can be seen as a good thing, coz it might create motivation in a person to seek improvement of his/her current status, and then allow that person to obtain the goal. BUT when envy becomes jealousy, that becomes a problem, coz that person will be unhappy and bitter, always seeing what others have and coveting it, without thinking that they could turn the emotion around and change it into something constructive, or by remedying the situation so that their current situation will improve.

Jealousy then makes a person very dissatisfied with life, and might keep the person ruminating in what he/she doesn't have, rather than what he/she has, and then capitalizing on it. I think sometimes, depression arises from this dissatisfaction with life and an inability to see the silver lining that comes with this dissatisfaction.

Therefore, I have resolved to be a happier person, and to be happy for others when they have achieved a goal they want. I shall be a bigger-hearted person.

Let's hope I'm a big enough person to do it.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Kayden's Birthday

I just have to blog about these darling boys- my nephews Jing Xun and Kayden! They are brothers, but Jing Xun is usually called by this name by his mother instead of Kirren, so I shall do the same thing. He's sooo adorable!!

Anyway, it was Kayden's first birthday last week, so according to some Chinese superstition, it's good to celebrate a child's first month and first year of birth, so that's what they did. I was looking forward to going, coz that would mean seeing Jing Xun! Haha... Jing Xun's become more confident, and he's more active now too! And he's very accommodating. In the very first picture in this slide show, it was taken when I told him to smile. He was trying to figure out his bubble gun, trying to make it shoot more bubbles when I approached him. I said, "Kirren, smile!" and he looked up and gave me that smile. Oh my goodness, my heart melted!! So handsome!!

Haha I shall let you see the pictures taken at Kayden's birthday.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Some quotes

I recently came across some quotes that set me thinking:

"Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last fish has been eaten, only after the last river has been poisoned, only then will you realise that money can not be eaten." - Cree Prophecy

"If you can't do anything about it, why worry? If you can do something about it, why worry? Therefore, put aside your worries..." - Buddha

And here's a story I heard the other day:

A high monk and a government official were having a meeting one day. The official asked the monk, "What do you see when you see me?"

The monk replied, "I see a Buddha."

Naturally, the official was very happy to hear this. He said, "Would you like to know what I see when I see you?"

The monk replied, "Please tell me."

The official said, "I see a pile of shit when I see you." To which the monk burst out laughing upon hearing it.

Why?










The monk said, "We are what we see."

Gets you thinking, doesn't it?

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Sabah Trip

Very long entry ahead. Even if you don't read the words, look at the photos! =)

Before school starts proper, I figured I'd better post up the photos we took while in Sabah. I had a good time at Sabah, and we really experienced a wide variety of things, like getting lost and walking around for an hour before being saved by the taxi driver whose photo you'll see soon below, getting drenched in the rain while walking the mountail trails at Mt Kinabalu, me falling down at the Mt Kinabalu hotel, which you already read about in the last entry, Si Huan and Merrilyn being wonderful sports during the whole trip, and them getting drunk. Haha, but let's not talk about that last event, shall we? =)

Anyway, on the first morning of our stay in Sabah, before going for the registration of the conference, we explored Tanjung Aru Town, which was only a few minutes' walk from our hotel. Tanjung Aru Town was recommended by the driver who sent us to our hotel, who said that they sold breakfast there. Hmm. When we went there, there were many many Korean restaurants, which we were not interested in. We wanted to find Malaysian food, so onwards we went, and we found 2 little stalls selling what looked more like normal food. Well, only one, to be exact, as you can see from the picture of Merrilyn and Si Huan eating nasi lemak. I didn't order nasi lemak or other dishes, but waffles. Yes, I can see some of you rolling your eyes now, and I think I probably deserve it, but that day I didn't have an appetite for anything big. The shopkeepers were very hospitable, kept talking to us, and were so patient!

Then on we went to Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) for the registration of the conference. And what a wild goose chase that was! Apparently, the organisers had decided to change the venue of the conference to one of the resort hotels, and we weren't informed of it, so we had to find out about it only after we reached the Universiti -_-" So never mind, Si Huan met up with Guan Qi, her good friend, and we visited the UMS canteen. UMS is friggin' big! If you thought NTU was big, wait till you look at UMS. It's bout 3 times the size of NTU. And the view from the canteen...!!

The conference registration wasn't due to start until 4pm that day, so we had time to spend, and we went to Centrepoint Sabah, which seems to be a popular shopping place among the Sabah people. And yes, Sabah has Internet, and not bad connection k! Yep, so after we'd gone to Centrepoint, we went on to Sutera Harbour Resort for the registration. Wow, that place is so shiok! Anyway, photos are below.



After hanging around there, we decided to visit the night market. Unlike those night markets I've been to in other parts of Malaysia, this night market really only sold food, but they were rather repetitive. Anyway, we ordered barbecued Ikan Bakar which was seasoned with tumeric and came with sweet sauce, and Si Huan ordered the barbecued chicken wings which were seasoned with honey and were really juicy and nice. The ikan bakar was good too! Haha, I like eating at such places actually, the food seems to taste better there. =p So then you know from the beginning that we got lost on our way back, so let's not dwell on it. Suffice it to say that we experienced something new that day. =)By the time we reached the hotel, our shoes were dirty, so Si Huan whipped out her secret weapon, and this is her advertisement:



The second and third days were spent at the conference, which was an eye-opener for me, and the symposiums were rather invigorating in the sense that when the participants were interested in the topic, they continually voiced their opinions, and it resulted in a throwing around of ideas among the researchers. As an amateur, it was quite nice to see them discussing these issues, and I was more than content to just sit and listen to them talking. =) The photos below show the resort and the dinners we had. We had dinner at Anjung Selera, a row of hawkers selling seafood by the sea. But before you think such a location is synonymous with fresh seafood, I'd advise you to think again. The seafood wasn't fresh. So after awhile of deliberation, we settled on a stall that seemed to sell the freshest seafood. As you can see, we ordered fried chilli stingray, lemon butter sotong, and sambal kangkong. We were expecting the stingray to be barbecued, but it was fried! It tasted quite good actually, but I guess the expectation that I had for barbecued stingray kinda marred a bit of my tasting of the fish. The sotong was not bad, it had a unique taste, but a bit too salty I felt. The kangkong was the best- it had the fire taste in it, which I love, and it was rather fresh. All in all, it wasn't a bad meal. We had lots of fun there actually, and looking at Si Huan's face, I guess you can imagine how much laughter there was.

On the fourth day, we made our way to Mt Kinabalu. It was a 2 hour ride, and the scenery was beautiful, as you can see from the photos we- or rather, Merrilyn- took. It was freezing there! We were planning to climb the mountain, but when we reached there, we realised that we were actually too ambitious. We were hardly prepared to climb the mountain- we didn't have the right clothes, we also didn't have the most basic- enough warm clothing. So we travelled the mountain trails, and it started raining like it did the whole time we were there, and we felt even colder. It was fun travelling the mountain trails with Si Huan and Merrilyn, and the scenery was nice, just that because it was raining, we had to keep our eyes on the ground most of the time in case we slipped and fell, which was what I was doing the most, and was what earned me the nickname of "大只的" from Si Huan. -_-" Since we were so cold, we ordered steamboat for dinner! Man we were sooo looking forward to the dinner. Frankly, I was shocked at the amount of vegetables there were in the bowl! As that day was the 15th day of the Lunar month, Si Huan and I had gone vegetarian for the first half of the day, which meant we had a meal of salad for lunch. And seeing that bowl of vegetables.... Well, you can say it was veggie overload for me. And Si Huan was right in saying she felt like a rabbit. Haha, what an apt description. There were 3 groups of caucasians sitting around us, and they were soo intrigued by the steamboat I'm sure their hands were itching to take photos of us cooking the steamboat. There were discussions at their tables, and one by one kept taking casual walks past our tables. Hehe imagine if we'd had a hot plate around the steamboat, they'd be even more excited. Haha!!



And the fifth day, our last full day in Sabah, we went to the Sunday market. Well, I was expecting Petaling Street's (KL) size and variety, so I was a bit disappointed when I saw that they sold mostly the same things. It was quite a small market as well, hardly comparable to Petaling Street, much less Thailand's Chatuchak, but of course, the atmosphere there was comparable to those two places. It was crowded there, full of tourists and locals, trying to get the best bargains for their goods. Because of the crowd, I couldn't take a good photo of the market. =( Before we left the market, we went past this van that was playing whimsical kind of music, the kind you'll hear at funfairs, the "ting-ting" kind of tone? It was an ice-cream van selling dual-flavoured ice-cream! So quaint!

We went on to the handicraft market after that, which was rather repetitive in terms of their variety again, but there's one thing you can't deny about the people of Sabah- their handicrafts are really nice. And then we went on to Kbox. You have to be there to see what happened! Si Huan went rock, and was so emo! You can see from the slides below! Merrilyn was a good sport too. Both of them agreed to sing "One Night in Beijing" for me to record, and they gamely sang the high-pitched parts, complete with wayang actions. Cool! I'm not going to upload videos here, but you can watch some of the videos on Si Huan's blog. There's none of the "One Night in Beijing", you'll have to pay money for that, I'm afraid. =) At night, we went to eat seafood! We were recommended this Chinese restaurant called "双天" by the taxi driver, so we went there. Man the food was expensive by Malaysia's standards! We ordered one grouper steamed Foochow style, 3 tiger prawns, and one plate of broccoli, and it came out to RM138! That was very expensive. However, the food was good and fresh, I gotta admit. Still.....



The last day, just before we left for the airport, we went to Tanjung Aru Beach! Early morning scenery's beautiful. Let me just let the pictures speak for themselves. And as usual, we were up to our usual antics, so.. enjoy the photos! =)



Before I end this super long entry, I'd just like to say that the people in Sabah are pretty friendly. We encountered good service during the time we were there, and everyone was helpful and smiley. Haha, that just made the trip nicer for me, together with good company! =)

Thursday, August 09, 2007

My back

So. After 2 weeks of kidding myself about my back, I decided that if I didn't want to be crippled when I grew old, I'd have to go see a doctor. And lucky I did, if I can take the doctor for her word. My upper back has 6 discs which have shifted out of place, and the part of the lower back which I'd injured while in Sabah had swollen rather much. So I did the ba guan thing- you know, the bottles being suctioned onto the injured area of your body- and voila, from the difference in colours, you could see which part was injured, and they were the areas she'd said were the most badly injured. Looks like even when I dismiss any discomfort as just that- discomfort, there's really something wrong. =S

Oh well. I better be more mindful of my sitting posture; seems like it was the sitting posture that made my spine go out of alignment. Thank goodness it had only been out of alignment for 6months at the most. Can you imagine if it had been for a year or more? I think that would have been bad. Do you think I should go back for follow-up treatments? That's the tedious thing about Chinese medicine- follow ups are always needed, and since they treat from the root cause, there's no way of knowing if you are getting better or not. But I shall take comfort in the fact that she said just going 2 more times will make my upper back ok. Let's hope that's the case! Ah, so that means no sleeveless clothes that expose my back for the next week. The ba guan marks are too obvious. Haha, it makes me look like I've been beaten!! =S

OK, and I shall end now. Hopefully the next post you'll see will be the Sabah trip! And I wanna post up a picture of my favourite boy Kirren!! OMG he's the next love of my life after the LG Chocolate phone. Haha!!

Monday, August 06, 2007

Writer's Block

Oh! So I've written on the topic before. Oh well.

They say the best way to get round writer's block is to write about it, and it's worked for me a couple of times, but this time, it's not working. I can't think of anything smart and critical to say about this article that I'm supposed to write a thought paper about. It wasn't that bad when I had to do Prof Chang's reports, and write other reports, so why is it so hard now? I wonder if it's anything to do with my inclination to procrastinate? But I can't do it anymore! No tum no tum!! Tomorrow's the start of my academic year, and I want to start it off as worry-free as possible. So that means finishing it before dinner time today, by hook or by crook. It's 4.09pm now, which means I've about 2 hours to finish this off. Think I can do it? I sure hope so.

One page. One of the hardest one page I've ever done, and I think this takes the cake.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

理想情人

穿上洋装看着手表
时间快到心碰碰的跳
和你的第一次约会来临了

金色的阳光洒满人行道
换了新唇膏把头发弄好
要你看到我的好
喜欢看你走路充满自信
说话时候你的专注眼神
温柔的表情笑容里的天真
我相信找不到有比你更好的人
你心里理想情人是几分
是否也会有我的份
好想知道你的100分
会给怎样的人
亲爱的你不要再陌生
增加我戏份
我想问亲爱的你把感情升等
朋友变成情人
可不可以告诉我标准
不要让我一直等
听着那时间滴答的走
对街的你在点头
好像一个梦渐渐走到我前头
好想知道你的100分
会给怎样的人
亲爱的你不要再陌生
增加我戏份
我想问亲爱的你把感情升等
朋友变成情人
可不可以告诉我标准
不要让我一直等

- 杨丞琳

My current favourite song!!