Maybe we're not so different afterall

I have always thought that we are very different in many ways. The Australians and I. We talk differently, have (almost) opposite taste in food and music, have different mindsets and, generally, behave differently.

You came across as being more vocal, always ready to express your ideas, no matter how absurd they may sound. I, on the other hand, have usually kept to myself and offer my ideas only when asked.

You take a considerable time to manipulate mathematical formulas. I see no challenge in that.

You greet friends of the opposite gender with a kiss. (Well, for some of you) I will just say "Hi".

You play hard. I play sudoku. (haha and other stuff of course!)

However after living here for some time, I am able to see slowly that we are not quite as different as I thought we are. Let me explain.

There was a programme on tv yesterday. I was actually watching the show before it, and happen to catch a glimpse before heading to my room. I was glued to the tv after that. It's a show about how long lost family members reunite and the sad story behind their initial separation. There were so much emotions. The regret for not being there during the important milestones of their child, the excitement and anticipation of reuniting and the immense joy to finally meeting one another again. It truely was an emotional experience.

It is very hard to fully understand the feelings of those who're seperated with their families unless you've been through this unfortunate experience yourself. For me, I was never lost. I know who my family is and never once doubt their love for me. But still there is something in me that made me feel I know a little of how those people felt. Maybe its because I am away from home for too long. Maybe this is just humanity.

Or maybe I understand because we are not so different afterall.

Huh? Wad toking you?

Today's post will be on the aussie language. I will show you some of the frequently used words here and tell you what it actually mean. This will be fun:) Let's go!

First up!
"How's it going?" or "How're you going?"
Most of you should already know this one by now. But for those who don't, it means "Hi" or "How are you?" when said by the cashiers at supermarkets and, more informally, can mean "What's up?" when said by a friend. It is generally used as a form of greeting and yes, the cashiers do greet you:)
Common reply will be "Good. And you?"

Next!
"Cheers"
This is NOT yaaaaaaaaammmmmm SENG! Usually accompanied by a smile, instead of a toast, the word has the same effect as "Thanks" and is mostly used to show slight appreciation.

Moving forward.
"Barbie"
This is not the anaroxic doll that comes immediately to your mind. (No offence to barbie doll lovers on the lack-of-weight issue) But it is a short for the word "Barbecue". The australians love to engage in this particular activity that bonds people no matter where or when they do it.

Last but not least,
"No worries"
This means "You're welcome" or "No problem"

TYPICAL AUSTRALIAN CONVERSATION
Andrew: Hey mate! How's it going?
Brandon: Oh good! I am just going to get a brekkie. Hey Andrew, there will be a barbie tomorrow at my place. Free to come?
Andrew: Oh sure! Don't forget to ask Carol along.
Brandon: No worries man. See ya.
Andrew: Cheers.

Note: "Brekkie" means "Breakfast" but it is not commonly used among my friends though it is said that some do use it.

Sometimes science

Before I begin today's discussion, I need to state that I have nothing against any race or religion. Reader's discretion is advised.

I have been studying science all throughout my study years and am focusing mainly on biology currently. As I delve deeper into the various areas of biology, I realised that there are a lot of phenomena that cannot be explained by science. (at least, not yet) And when that happens, we sometimes turn to other forms of reasonable explaination.

For example, most people would have heard of the story about how God created man. In this version, the formation of life is very much simplfied and easy to appreciate than what the scientist offered. As a biology student, I am made to believe that cells were made billions and trillions of years ago when volcanoes erupt and cause chemical and biological reactions to happen. This caused the formation of some circular biomolecules (ancestorous cells) which are able to make proteins and nutrients for growth. A few million years later, they evloved into something that can engulf other desirable molecules that aid their survival. And another few million years later, these cells can somehow differentiate and divide and form different organs that made up the complex human body we have now.

Some would have realised that I have deliberately ommited the excruciating details of the scientific explaination for the origin of life and because I am not here to educate, I don't feel any guilt whatsoever. What I am trying to show instead is the complexity of the whole process when you look at it in the "logical", scientific way. It then became more logical to look at it in the spiritual way- God made man.

I am a scientist. I need to provide reasons to medical questions which are backed by science. But science alone cannot tell me everything. It isn't a world of black and white out there. There are so much more to discover and experience. And perhaps it is why there are words like 'hope' and 'miracle.' Because against all odds, we want to believe that we can still make things happen if we want it bad enough.

Late! Chinese! Birthday!

I was 10 minutes late for my stats tutorial today cos I went back to sleep after turning off my alarm only to wake up half and hour later. Oh well! I didnt miss much though. The tutor was still at question 1 when I reached there.

After school, I decided to stop over at the supermarket before heading home. But what I didnt know, is that within the doors lies a test for the level of competency of my not-so-frequently-used mother tongue language.

An asian auntie came up to me and spoke to me in Chinese. She wanted to purchase the olive oil that was on promotion. Being a nice and friendly person, I took her to the aisle where the liquid fats are displayed and pointed out the one that she was looking for. And then the test begun. She started asking me questions, and answers to which I cannot phrase in Mandarin.

To minimise the embarassment, I'll let you in on just one example. I cant say "litres" in Chinese. (I cant decide if it is gong sheng or hao sheng. Tried both. She knew neither) So I improvise and said "kong jin" instead, which actually means kg but they are basically the same if you think about it.

Alright enough of that, next up!

It's Begum's birthday today! So if you're reading this, Happy Birthday girl! I miss you loads. Make time for me when I get back ya. I wanna meet up!

Dear Stacey,

You have probably heard or seen this umpteen number of times but I've still gotta say it. HAPPY BIRTHDAY STACEY SIM!

The first impression you gave me was, you're a very shy girl. Despite what I said yesterday, you are very reserved when talking to people you've just met but not quite so with your long time buddies. As I think of some adjectives to describe you, the first few that came to mind was animated and cartoon. Then there are knowledgable, reliable, environmental-friendly, friend-friendly, book-friendly. And then there is one that I cant quite explain. It's colourful. I think you're colourful and so is your life. I won't say that the life you've had so far is a smooth-sailing one, there are certainly many ups and downs, but you've still managed to paint it in bold, brilliant colours. In this way, I want to be like you. Paint my life as bright and colourful as yours.

You might not know this but you're always there to point out what I failed to see. One of my best life-savers. You're sincere and has never failed to make me smile or even lol. (lets get loud, hahaha) You're creative and smart and hence is always the one to come up with ideas beyond my comprehension and appreciation. (But they do make me laugh!)

You are a role model, Stacey. I lup to chew:)

Once again, HAPPY 20th!

Yours
Lee Ling aka dage

It is impossible to dislike her

I met someone special yesterday during stats lecture. I think I know her well despite only spending one hour with her. She is very brave and doesnt give up easily. In her life, she must have faced more obstacles than the average person but she will stubbornly continue her road with a smile. She is very optimistic. But she is also pessimistic sometimes. Who can blame her? She is not your average girl. She is partially handicapped. Visually. But she IS your average girl. Maybe she's just more loud and cheerful. It must be scary to be her, talking in front of so many audience and yet unable to see them. Yup, she was the lecturer.

She reminds me of someone very dear to me in Singapore. They have the same personality. I miss her so much and was glad that I made it to her 21st birthday, thanks to the invention of webcam.

I admit that I was bias throughout the whole lecture. I couldnt stand it when the guys behind kept talking badly of her and when people left in the middle of the lecture. And it was so painful to see her struggling with a tough academic question posed by a fellow undergrad. In my mind I was cheering on for her. I thought she was good! Although I might think otherwise if not for her reminder of the special bond I have with my cousin.

It was a very tiring day for me on Friday but I listened to everything she said and followed her as she jumps from page to page of my lecture notes. At the end, I was happy at Arjan's comment that she is better than BFG. See! She's good!

I see the BFG in you

Something strange happened today. I might even classify it as a miracle. The Head of Statistics stood up for me today! OMG it felt so good. Alright what happened was that my student account does not allow me to open an application which is required for me to complete my assignment. And this assignment is due on Monday.

I called up the IT support but they still couldnt get it fixed. (Well, they claimed that it was fixed but it wasn't) So I went to my instructor who then told me to tell Gary, the Head of Stats.

Gary was very helpful. (FYI we are on first name basis cos I cant pronounce his last name) For those who know the place, he went from the maths office building at 10 Pultney to the labs in the Engineering and Maths building just to see the error message.

And that's not all! He called ITS to inform them of their inefficiency and insisted on speaking to the supervisor to ensure that the job will be done properly. While he was put on hold to get connected with the supervisor, he gave me a " I'll get them for you" look. He even told me to send him an email if they didnt do a good job.

It's nice to have someone who stands up and fights for you. Especially when you're not on home ground and you're unsure of the procedures. And the problem was finally resolved. For real.



For the record, the post just below this is nothing serious. I was just goofing around. Thanks to all for your concern:)

Rare side (sight)

Warning: This is not my usual writting style. If you're blessed with the gift to pick up the tone in text, I might sound a bit crazy to you. Be assured that I am still me but also know that what I have related, or rather, will be relating, is true.

I have recently changed the layout of my bedroom and many commented that my humble nest is actually really big. Well, well, what did I tell you. It's huge alright. Now that all of the furniture are pushed to the wall, there is a large space in the middle where I now skip.

Change is good. I recall reading a sentence from a fiction book saying that having a routine automatically makes you vulnerable. It was a book about serial killers. (yup I was into those books once) So if you have a good reason to believe that someone is after your life, change your route home every now and then.

That was a joke btw. That only happens in story book land. Or does it? hmmm...

But I like changes. I think. Besides, you're able to see yourself better with change. And if you don't like what you have evolved into, change back! Switch from being Mr. Nice to Mr. Grumpy and back to Mr. Nice again.

No nO dun do that. People will think that you're suffering froM split personalities.

Be constant. Stay predictable. Like me. I aM fairly constant. I go to school, come home, do work, run around a bit, bathe, eat, do more work, sleep, go to school, come home , do work.......................

475263

You said it best, when you say....

The most effective way of making a statement is to make it short and accurate. Do not let any emotions be conveyed through your content. If you have to face an audience, maintain your facial features and Tone of voice as calm as possible. The velocity of speech must also be relatively constant.

Let them decide if they should take your word for it.

WELL DONE BEIJING!

The opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics Games in Beijing, China was, arguably, one of THE most spectacular of its kind. I was amazed by the level of detail they went into despite of the large scale nature of the event. Each segment never failed to awe the audience with astonishing visual effects and magnificent display of dance and music. I cant describe the whole parade without inflicting any injustice to it so shall not attempt to but I beseech anyone who missed it to catch it somehow or another. You will not regret it. And of course, the amount of pyrotechnics involved was truely beyond my imagination.

Great job Beijing. You took the stage and amazed the world.

Happy National Day

Tomorrow is National Day! Everyone at home will be so excited. Waiting for the parade to come on tv and looking for the best spot to witness the massive fireworks display. Stacey will be so busy performing and taking photos. Are you an elf this year Stacey?

Thinking about national day made me miss home a lot. And the next thing I knew, I was singing the song Home by Kit Chan out loud. This is one of the national day songs that I like the best. And Chan is such a song bird.

~This is home, truely
where i know i must be
where my dreams wait for me
where that river always flows.

This is home, surely
as my senses tell me
This is where i won't be alone
For this is where i know its home.~

Happy Birthday in advance Singapore!

Returning to school - Semester 2

Today marks the LAST WEEKday of the FIRST WEEK. Going back to school reminds me of the reason for my being here – to study. Without the internet acting as my main source of distraction, I am now able to occupy myself with homework, which comes at an amazingly slow speed, as well as mental stress. I am stressed. Not very much but I am. Let’s just say that things are not going as planned and there is nothing I can do about it.

The weather has been quite temperamental these days. It tends to lead people to think that it will be a fine day, like today, and just as everyone hailed the good turn in weather, it hailed. It was quite an experience though.

I had the first taste of stats at university level and the only thing I have learnt so far from it was an interesting quote. “I would spend my last day on Earth in my stats class. It makes it seem longer. – Anonymous” I thought it was weird that my lecturer showed this to us. It was not at all encouraging when she used this to skilfully warn us of the degree of boringness the class could get. The rest of the lectures were filled with terminology and formulas I have come across in my study years. Nothing’s new. (So far)

There is another birthday girl coming up and the party’s due tomorrow. That means I gotta get a present. And since I am sharing it with Elisa it must not come as a surprise when I say that we will be baking. Its banana chocolate chip cupcakes or muffins, I can’t really tell the difference, and we’re going to do it from scratch. This usually spells disaster for me but I shall put my absolute faith in my trusty housemate. I’ll still pray for help from above though. And while I am at it, I’ll ask if I am good enough for something to relief my stressed state.