It's ok because tomorrow is another day

See you tomorrow

2010-12-20T13:40:00.006+10:30

In about 24 hours from now, I will be boarding the plane to Singapore. And although I have done this a couple of times, I still feel nervous about going back. And when I break it down, I saw what was worrying me. When I am alone, I can do stuff on my own. I do it when I want it and how I like it to be done. But when I am back, I am no longer just me. I am part of a team, my family. So when my dad tired to take my luggage for me at the airport, I felt weird. And wrong. I am not used to it, having others doing things for me. I think that's why.

But similarly, I think my family was traumatised by my return the last time because I made some changes to our house of 20 years. Thank god they still accept me.

In any case, if everything goes well and the weather is good, I will be back home tomorrow and shall be seeing you all soon.

The impact a thought can have

2010-10-20T22:07:00.003+10:30

So life as we know it, has always been the same. Until it is not. The day I am referring to is yesterday. The day I quit quiting. It is always like that. Only when you get into serious sh*t will you realise your true potential. And then you come out of the problem as a better person. I realised I gave up on myself too early. But she didn't give up. The lady, a stranger to me before yesterday, present me with the most generous offer. And she helped me through. Through her I saw humanity, a rare quality in busy people nowadays. Through her actions I've learnt not to give up. Cos that is what I did and I made it! It helped a lot that she was very supportive and positive, throwing away all the negativity in me bit by bit. I don't think she realise her effect on me.

Nothing is fixed until the last second. It's ok even if you don't get what you deserve for all that work. And even if you've reached the last second, sometimes you can have another chance. Don't give up my friends. You might just be surprised.

Fuo gun

2010-10-17T14:43:00.003+10:30

Hello! Very quick and very briefly, I present you with my updates.

1) Exams are 3 weeks away, Arghhhh... DIE!
2) Date of returning to sg, 21st Dec.. yes, in december. I want to cry!
3) Currently no house to stay when/if I come back next year.
4) Weather now is as unpredictable as the mood of a PMS-ing women
5) Was just thinking of the summer flies attack from last year.. *shiver*
6) Loving life despite everything

What will you do if you were me

2010-09-14T11:03:00.002+09:30

I haven't been here for a while and its already spring. Much to update don't know where to begin. My Melbourne trip with Xinyi last July was very enjoyable. Reminds me of our trip to Perth more than half a decade ago. We were young and adventurous then. Melbourne is a very interesting place. It is a jumbo mix of young and old, black and white, historic and modern, and everything in between. All in all, it is an eye-opener. And this holiday, I am going to Sydney! Looking forward to that:)

It is my last semester here, although it doesn't feel like it, and there are much to be decided. One decision will lead to more decisions to be made. I feel all queasy inside whenever a potential life-changing decision lies on my lap. In this way, I feel like a kid. Like I don't want to face the music whenever I've made a wrong turn in life. So I end up asking people I know to make the decision for me. I think its because I am not sure if I'm ready for the change.

Dreams are bad for mental soundness

2010-08-29T15:08:00.004+09:30

I don't know why, but I have been dreaming a lot lately. Dreams of people I know, people I don't know and people who don't know each other behaving like they do. It's weird how dreams can appear to be so real. It seems as if in dreams our emotions are no longer protected by our conscious mind and are blatantly subjected to the harsh environment of dreamland. In dreams, we feel more than we think. It makes something which is physically impossible like flying, seem very acceptable.

I don't like to dream. It tires me emotionally especially during the first few moments I just woken up. And I spend much of my precious waking hours trying to figure out what exactly is it trying to tell me. Most importantly, it makes me emotionally unbalanced cos I'd feel cheated of one night's sleep.

Another dream inspired

2010-08-16T17:24:00.003+09:30

I am tired. I think I am too uptight. I know I should take it easy. Recently, I dreamt of something I cannot really remember. All I could remember was the intense feeling of helplessness. It was so real I could feel bits and pieces of it throughout the day. It is eating me away. I need to relax. I need to let it go.

And so I shall.

Update

2010-08-09T12:37:00.002+09:30

Alright guys. This post has to be done under 20 minutes. Just a quick update. For now, the study material of this semester seems difficult. Especially biochem. Lets hope it will get better as the semester progress.

Have you ever felt that there's someone behind you but when you turn around there's no one there? Or when you keep hearing someone calling your name in the crowd but when you turned, again there isn't anyone? I keep having this feeling recently. It's like a weird feeling that won't go away.

Elisa came to visit over the weekends but I couldn't meet up with her much. Sorry 'bout that girl. See you in Singapore k!

Speaking of which, its Singapore's Birthday today! Ah.. how I missed the National Day Celebration. And the goodies bag from the parade. To commemorate this day in my own special way, I have decided to wear my Sg tee and instead of the other pop songs, I would sing the national anthem with pride in the bathroom when I bathe today.

Changing buses

2010-08-03T23:23:00.003+09:30

Hello! So I am into my second week of my final semester as an undergrad and everything is kinna different. I was assigned to complete my genetics placement in an institute located at the Waite campus which is about 30-40 minutes away from the North Terrace campus. And because I have the privilege of travelling that far away from the city, I have discovered yet another interesting thing about adelaide.

Did you know that the buses here change their numbers as they travel from the suburbs to the city and vice versa? If you see a bus approaching from afar and the number on the bus is, for example 123, and so you thought it isn't your bus cos you're waiting for number 456 but within a blink of an eye, the bus number changed to 456 and you missed the bus because you didn't know that buses could actually change their numbers as they go. How weird is that? The numbers on the buses in adelaide are electronic, unlike the number printed on board kinds you see in singapore, and so changing the bus number is as easy as pushing a button.

Once I got off a bus (thinking I had to change buses) only to see that the bus I was on had its number changed! And the funny thing is that it was changed to the one I was supposed to go on. So, with embrassment written all over my face, I boarded the same bus... again.

I guess this is one of the few things I have to get used to.

Life or death

2010-07-06T12:37:00.003+09:30

I'll tell you a story. A true story. Not of my own but of someone by the name of Ramon Sampedro. He wanted to die.

He was involved in an accident when he was 25 that paralysed him from his neck down. He viewed his existence a burden to his care-taker and wanted to end his life with dignity. It is an irony that the very reason which fueled his will to die is the one which prevented him from suicide-his paralysis. His story brought the old and familiar debate on euthanasia to mind.

I think the movie which was based on his story kinna made him a hero. It seems to suggest that he is doing what others also wish for themselves but are too afraid to perform. I do not think that the fear which keeps people from taking their lives at some crisis makes them a coward. I think it takes courage to end one's life but it takes more than that to change one's mind about committing suicide.

I have done it again, haven't I? Veered into the topic which you have no response to. I'll stop.

I love life for you are here

2010-07-04T10:38:00.004+09:30

I am blessed. Truly I am. I am blessed with two most wonderful friends.

She looks out for me. My protector, my protectee. My partner in laughing craziness. I cannot hide anything from her. No use in trying. Many times, I tried but she sees right through me. As I, through her. She is my adviser. She is real. She is good beyond words can describe. And I, I am lucky.

He, on the other hand, is often our teasing target. We do that to amuse ourselves most of the time and he is good because he doesn't mind. He looks after me more than I know. He likes me. I like him too but not in the same way.

I shall be punished for being so selfish. For taking so much. But before that happens, before life robs me of the two best people I own, I shall enjoy our time together to the fullest. Even if I know I will look back and cry because these are the best days of my life and I will never have those days again. Because truly, I can never be happier than now.

Please try not to panic

2010-07-01T12:25:00.004+09:30

Yes, you're right, this is my blog. And yes, it does look different. I've made the change that was long overdue.

Do you ever wonder how names come about? Is it just a factor of how the syllables would sound when put together, or does it have another, more significant basis? I do not mean the names of individual people. I mean the general class we give to things/animals likes dogs, cats, tables etc. People should definitely name things with some consideration. For instance, I would agree with the name of the animal wolf but not the cat. One would think that the cat should be called meo or something.

And anyhow, I have just completed my finals for semester one and boy, does life feel great. I used what was left of the exam induced adrenaline in my blood to stay awake all of last night in the company of a great book. My first indulgence after the exams. The next on my to-do list would be to devote myself religiously to youtube.

Subject Matters

2010-06-12T13:44:00.004+09:30

I once heard that the sentence most often used in a person's life is I don't know.

I find myself saying that a lot lately. This is not good as exams are approaching. I think I am not being asked the right questions. Questions to which I have no answer come at me in various forms. And I can't even answer honestly. "I don't know" is not an acceptable answer. It never was.

I need to make a choice. One of three outcomes, all mutually exclusive. I am leaning towards one. The one which ends with the way it begins.

When the curtains are drawn

2010-05-16T10:08:00.006+09:30

When I was in primary school, some ten years ago, I joined the school's choir as part of my compulsory extra-curricular activity. I don't have much memories from that part of my past, but I recall we would sing the same thing over and over again until our conductor was satisfied. Then one day, we were told that we had to perform a song in front of the school for national day. So for the next few practices, we did what we do best - sing the same thing again and again. Except we didn't sing our silly practise songs. The song we sang was written for the stage.

On the eve of national day in the year two thousand, our long awaited day arrived. We were beyond excited as we stood behind the drawn curtains, waiting for our introduction from the MC. It's just like practice. I told myself. Just do it! At that point, I heard the cue for the curtains to be drawn. We were suddenly faced with so many faces! I thought I would throw up there and then. The conductor got our attention in time. And at the fourth stroke of her baton, we sang.

There was no accompaniment, just our voices in the otherwise quiet assembly hall. It was then I understood why we had to spend many afternoons practising this. So accustomed to the song were we that we managed to gracefully leap over many dangerous pit holes on the music score. The song was finished with such perfection that the conductor actually smiled. It was the first time (and also the last) I saw her smile. Then something unexpected happened. The audience below, who have been very quiet since, clapped. I was shocked for a moment. Not because I think we didn't deserve it (for we did) but because we were not told to be expecting this. And boy, it felt great.

This is like now. Perhaps we are doing something not easily appreciated by many. But we kept on going, despite the lack of understanding and applause. This is like practice. There might or not might be a chance to perform. But when there is one, leave no hesitation in the minds of the audience to give a standing ovation.

A table with no legs

2010-05-13T22:17:00.007+09:30

I have just received a table with no legs. I must admit I was not expecting it and I am not sure whatever to do with it. I looked at it for a long time, scrutinising it, trying to make sense of the piece of art (if you could call that art). I have decided that I didn't like it. For one, it's presence causes great inconvenience. It stands in the way of the sunlight and cast an ugly shadow (on your conscience) which makes having parties highly unlikely in the few days to come. And it is not exactly disposable. I have to keep it with me until I have served my term, my school term.

Yes, I am talking about my exam timetable.

The dose for doze

2010-05-13T01:14:00.003+09:30

I can't sleep. It is past 1 am and barely 10 degrees.

I had a dream recently. I dreamt of my dead hamster, who was also dead in my dreams. I dreamt of a dying goldfish. In fact, my dead hamster was in the same tank as the dying goldfish.

Was this a consequence of morbid thoughts, I do not know. Was this the reason of my restless state, I do not know.

Perhaps this has something to do with the recent episodes in my life. Not that I've dealt with death. Heaven forbids, no. Just the occasional ups and downs. Maybe a lot more ups than usual. And some feelings with confused positioning on the up-down scale.

Maybe the chocolate mud cake was one too much for dessert and I am now to suffer the after-effects of a sugar overdose.

Maybe its the unfinished homework which lies on my desk now, beckoning to my conscience, drawing me from sleep.

Maybe its a combination of reasons, rather than just a distinct one. Yet, as I lie wide awake in my bed, thinking of the maybe of all maybes, I failed to see that maybe, its just me.

Maybe I'll better another day

2010-05-12T09:20:00.002+09:30

It has been a long time. Busy would be the more socially accepted excuse for my not writing but as this is my blog, let me just be painfully honest. I have nothing to say. Nothing interesting at least. I could complain about the cold weather or the dreadful student life but more tired than I of ranting, are you of reading I'm sure. Or I could choose to write a story. A fake one, a real one or one somewhere in between. It doesn't really matter as long as it is entertaining. However, a story with no main focus or direction is like a person without an aim. There is no feelings in me right now which is strong enough for a story. I could also take a recent life experience and talk about it in some weird and abstract way such that no one other than myself could understand. But that will take much effort on my side for distorting and yours for deciphering and so I have decided against it. So I guess you could say this post is like the aimless person. For I am going to end it here, without necessarily having a point made.

This might not be funny

2010-04-27T11:55:00.002+09:30

The past few days have been a nightmare. In a span of a mere 3 days, I have had enough encounter with danger that could have possibly irreversibly changed my perception of the human race. I hope I'm wrong (I am short sighted and tend to have an over-active imagination) but if I'm right, I might have been a target in 2 occasions and a witness in another. I will not relate what happened. And although it is probable that this is all a mistake, my gut feeling is telling me that something is going on around in the park. And that is why I am writing this. To serve as a form of documentation I suppose. Maybe I'll look back and laugh at all these in the next months or so. But not now. Now I am paranoid, suspicious of everyone I see, and taking every precaution to be with one other person when I walk through that park. I hope I'm wrong.

Story of my life

2010-04-15T01:18:00.012+09:30

There are two things which makes for a good story. It's remarkable resemblance to our everyday lives, and the means to which it is being told. When we're watching a movie or reading a novel, we would tend to, unknown to most of us, draw reference from past experiences to associate ourselves more with the characters and to empathise with their (usually dreadful) situations. It is hard to observe indifferently as the lives of others unfold before you, be it an accurate account or a fragment of one's imagination. And I pity those who can. I do.

But if the feelings of detachment towards a story was due to ill exposure to life, then I guess I could understand for it takes one to know another. Hence the need for the story to be close enough to life, literally or metaphorically, for appropriate parallels to be drawn. We do not need to lose a child to cancer to understand the pain and agony, we've lost a grandparent before.

I guess one could argue that a better story would be one which is able to immerse its audiences into another state of life, one which was never experienced before. Like movies involving wizards, or pirates, or vampires, or (the most recent) a blue alien body. But the short-lived fantasy would dissolve once the mind clears and reality sets in. The story which makes the most impact would more often be one which we best associate our lives with.

That said, a good story must also have the ability to amplify feelings. To be able to describe most precisely the emotions of the characters requires not only a strong grasp for the language but also an in tune sense towards life. Make known to the audience, his/her feelings and that creates the bond. Let the play of words do the fine tuning of emotions.

It has not slipped my attention that some stories are harder a deal to be made impressive than others. Its only fault lies in its lack of understanding listeners. And so, from a different perspective I guess one could say that having a good story-teller is equally important to making a great story as it is to have in one's company, one's right audience.

Calling bluff

2010-04-12T19:20:00.006+09:30

We are all guilty of it. Be it before, at present or in the future, in which case, we will be guilty of it. People usually do it to get themselves out of trouble, make others happy, to appear "bigger" or just for fun. It might look as though children have a greater tendency to indulge in it than adults but we all know that that's just bull. The mortal sin which have tempted man for years, which have caused war between brothers, which murdered the purity of the soul was created when man learnt the art of lying.

Its undeniable. No matter how hard we try, no matter the amount of self righteousness we have in us, there is no way we could have lived a life without some make believe, or some false self-flattering remarks, or some feigning of innocence, or whatever you choose to call it. To say that one has never lied before is, itself a lie.

But sometimes, we cannot help it. The situation calls for some bluffing. Sometimes, lying just makes things a lot simpler. (At this moment, you would be recalling a recent lying episode which had a happy ending.) And so, although I was taught otherwise, I think lying is not all that bad. And if telling lies emboss on us a one-way ticket to hell, I believe we'll all be seeing each other there some day.

L for....

2010-04-09T11:57:00.004+09:30

Introduction:
When it comes to the affairs of the heart, I am really the last person you should come for advice. Cos more often than not, I would not be able to understand the pain and struggle one places himself under in the name of love. The lack of empathy might be attributed to the lack of experience or my narcissistic nature (or both).

Results and experiment:
When a girl friend relates her relationship problems to me, I will dissect the situation like a Math problem. But 1+1 is not 2. Not in this case. Cos MAybe 1 isn't 1, like he said it is. Maybe 1 is 2 and 1+2 gives 3 and 3's a crowd. And since he lied about 2 being 1, I can lie about my half of the equation and have my 1 be 2 or 3 or 4. You know what I mean?

Conclusion:
It's complicated.

Lessons taken to a whole new level

2010-03-22T21:08:00.003+10:30

I had the most interesting tutorial today. We, the biochemist to be, were told to meet in a different location for our tutorial this week. I went to the location and was surprised to see that the doorway leading to the lecture room was draped with long, dark curtains, like those you would find in a cinema. The room was like a mini-theater. The seats are those cushioned types and you have to pull it down before you can sit on it. The 3D glasses were located below the seats. Yes, you saw it right. We were in a virtual reality classroom.

We were learning about protein-protein interaction and our tutor, Grant, thought it would be best if we could see those proteins in real life. And omg we love that guy! Once we put on our 3D glasses, he took us through many different types of proteins. Most of which we have heard of in his lectures. And we saw more than the 3D conformation. Grant rotated the molecules, zoomed in, zoomed out, removed their residues, added side chains, I felt almost like I was in the magic school bus!

I now see the wonders of my university. I am not in some ancient and forgotten building. Hidden behind those brick-red walls, are great facilities which can enhance teaching and learning. The uni of adelaide, I see you in a different light. But are there more of you which I don't see?

Missing

2010-03-20T19:39:00.003+10:30

Dear Key

I am sorry for not treating you well enough. For always placing you with other not-so-important keys together in a key ring when you're the only one I need. For throwing you on my table every time I am tired. For taking you for granted every time you open the door for me.

I am sorry I didn't tell you how important you are in my life. And always placing you in weird places and will only search for you when I am about to leave the house. I am sorry I didn't cherish our time together more.

Please come back to me. I promise to treat you better. I'll give you your own key ring and place you in a special pocket in my bag. I'll thank you everyday for opening the door for me. Forgive me and come back.

I love you always and forever.

Unless I move house.

Your owner

Happy Birthday Mama!

2010-03-18T21:43:00.003+10:30

Happy Birthday Mama!

I wish you good health, good fortune and good luck! May you have whatever you wish for.

Although I cannot be there to celebrate this day with you, know that I miss and love you dearly.

Please be well and safe back home.

Don't worry, I'll be by your side soon.

Your daughter
Ling

Growing up, a distance apart

2010-03-13T10:26:00.012+10:30

So, I was walking home the other day when something strange happened. It was a hot day so I kept my eyes low and just as I turned into the road leading to my house, I saw it. Standing silently, on the opposite side of the road, was the tree. My tree. The one that wasn't supposed to grow.

I walked towards it slowly, dreading the feeling of disappointment once I knew it was my mistake. I reached out and felt its bark. Yes! It is the same. Excitedly, I placed my face closer to inspect its leaves. It's the same! My heart exclaimed again. But hang on, the leaves of every tree looked the same to me too. So I backed up and changed my approach. Walking around it, I searched for traces of evidence that would prove me wrong.

"Hello there," someone from behind me said.

I turned and met his eyes. " Oh, hello!" I said, slightly startled.

It was an old man in his 60s. He was dressed in the most peculiar manner. Donned in a sports outfit with a baseball cap, he would be thought as an athlete if not for the walking cane he held in his right hand.

"Do you like that?" he asked, pointing to my tree.

"Yes," I replied, "I think I have a similar one in my backyard."

And that started our conversation. I told him of my failed attempts to cultivate the tree and he joked that I must have picked the most stubborn seed of the lot. I soon learned that he was botanist and was amazed by the amount of things he knew about my tree.

"The seeds of this tree will only germinate when they are of considerable distance of each other to prevent competition of nutrients," he said.

We stood there, beneath my tree. Talking, laughing and listening to each other's story.

"Isn't it great?" I told the tree in my backyard when I got home, "you've got a family."

And if trees could smile, I am sure my tree would be smiling its bestest smile then.

The end.

This fictitious story is a continuation from the one I wrote in March 2009.

HATE

2010-03-11T22:56:00.001+10:30

There is someone in my life whom I absolutely detest. I dislike him with all the hatred one's heart can bear. Everytime I talk to him I feel like a good part of me died and the ugly side of me wished him dead. I cannot put into words why I dislike him but I just feel that he does not give me the respect I should have as a person. And this is cleverly done through subtle hints he gives during our brief interation. I hate him so much but without a good reason, I cannot fight him. So all I can do now is to avoid him. This is easy enough if he would just stop bothering me.

Un-depress me

2010-03-08T09:38:00.003+10:30

Alright guys, as promised this will be a more positive post than the previous one. So lets see, hmm.. happy stuff... oh! I've just been to Jeremy's house warming party. That was great. There was Wii and mah jong and tonnes of never seen before people. I met someone by the name of Tan Li Leng, which was rather interesting seeing we share the same name.

So that was one happy event of my current life.

And today's a public holiday for us in australia. No school! No pract! Yay!

And erm.. well, that's about it. I must say I am surprised I came up with two happy things. Frankly, I am surprised I came up with any. This shows that the good stuff's around, I just have to look harder. Till next time my friend.

Depressing

2010-03-05T21:44:00.003+10:30

Hello and welcome to my almost non-existent blog. I am back in Adelaide and have barely survived my first week of school. Despite the fact that I have only 2 subjects to juggle with, namely genetics and biochemistry, I still end up reaching home at 6 everyday. And all the credit goes to my 4-day pract week. However, that's not the most pressing issue right now. Currently, the hot water tap in my bathroom is broken, forcing my housemate and I to bathe in Arctic cold water! And that's not it! Because of Clipsal, a annual car racing event held just outside my house, the main roads are closed for a week and I have to take an extra 15 mins to get around the road block.

Ah, life.

On the sunny side,

actually, I'll tell you the sunny side(s) in a day or two. I need some time to think.

Arghhhhhhh

2010-02-20T01:44:00.003+10:30

I am frustrated right now cos I cannot remember something of great importance to me. It's affecting me so bad that I cannot think of anything to say for general amusement. This is bad you know? It's a vicious cycle. You are angry at yourself for being such an idiot and then you feel sorry yourself for being in this predicament. This cycle of self-resentment and self-pity goes on and on until you're too tired to think and you let the sleep take you.

Ya. I guess this is happening to me right now. Maybe I should go to bed. Then maybe I will dream. And just maybe it'll be about the new unversity password which I have recently forgotten.

Changes and more

2009-11-28T10:40:00.002+10:30

Ladies and gentlemen I am pleased to address you from a place other than my bedroom in Adelaide. I am currently addressing you from my bedroom in Singapore. ahahahahaha. Yes! I am back! There were many changes since I left. Do you know that we did not initially have the lights on the board of the mrt trains telling us the next stop? And I came from the time where the trains don't go beyond Boon Lay. Apparently there are more changes which I have yet to witness. Orchard road seems to be the road with the biggest makeover, with ION Orchard and Orchard Central being the newest members of the family of shopping malls. I feel like a tourist!

Apart from the roads and things, the people of Sg have also changed since I'd left. It is heart wrecking to say this but physically, my dad has aged tremendously and have lost a lot of weight. My sister too seems to have lost some baby fat (but she is still as childish as before) while my brother has gained some muscles which further emphasis the small head he has. My mother was the only one who stayed the same. Thank god for that!

Since I came back, I have met up with Xinyi, Stacey, and a handful of people from the Tan clan.

Xinyi has cut her hair to a record bob short. And accompanied with the significantly lost of her long hair was the significantly lost of weight. Please eat more Li Xinyi!

Stacey was the same:)
Well, apart from her badly scalded hand that is. We still share a certain level of telepathy and gave each other gifts with the same reference to the past. ~ Sister ladybug~ hahaha. Take care Stacey Sim.

The few members of the Tan family whom I've had the fortune of meeting up with did not change much physically. However in some, I can sense changes of a different nature. My grandfather, for one, became very emotional when we talked about people from his past. That was the first time I've seen him so vulnerable.

Alright I have to do the awkward change of topic and ask that my friends in Adelaide to take care. Yes! That means you Lim Sze Yin and Hor Peng Soon. Miss you guys loads.

Still to come:
1) Meeting the Lam Family (my mother's side) - Tomorrow
2) Elisa Lua @ the new Orchard Road - Tuesday
3) Sarah Lim - time & place have yet to be determined
4) Stanley - Thursday
5) The rest of the Tan clan - Saturday
6) Shirrin - Are we meeting???

I wanna thank You

2009-11-22T11:16:00.002+10:30

After two long weeks of mindless studying (pun intended), it is my greatest pleasure to announce that the exams for this year is finally over. Looking back, I won't say that this was a difficult year. Or perhaps I have lowered my expectations and so I don't feel so bad if I didn't do as well. I can feel that my priorities in life are shifting.

I am very thankful that I have a great friend. A special someone who will do anything for me and always looks for my best interest. She's one in a million. Thank you lim sze yin!

I am also very thankful that I have great family support. They are constantly there for the selfish me who only thinks about them when I need them to get me out of trouble. A round of thank you(s) to:
My dad, the constant nagger. But I know that's cos he worries about me.
My mum, the wise one. The one who pulls me out of shit every time.
My sista, the joker. Does silly things to make me laugh:D
My brother, the er.... person I depend upon to reply messages to my mum.

I am also thankful for the trials I have been put through. They remind me to always be prepared cos things can take a turn for the worse when you least expected it.

I am thankful towards my lecturers and tutors for their patience and guidance.

And lastly, I am thankful that you're still reading this although I haven't been blogging as frequent as you have been checking in.

It's goodbye for now but I shall be seeing you soon.

Re: Hello

2009-11-18T18:36:00.006+10:30

I have a problem. And it was recently brought to my attention as I have been writing many emails to people from all walks of life. I'm afraid I am suffering from the I-don't-know-how-to-title-this-email syndrome. Do you feel the same way? I mean, how is it possible to choose one main thing as your title when there were so many things mentioned in the electronic mail? It is embarrassing to say this but I would very often have "Hello" as my title. Haha yeah I know. It's not as if the word alone summarises the whole point of my mail but it is the least information omitting, most downright appropriate one I can think of. I suppose this fault of mine stems from the fact that I have little to no ability of being concise. That's why I always have to cut out some points in my science practical reports to bring the word count down.

If there really is someone watching over me, please let there be no need for me to conjure any documents which require any execution of my inelegant summarising skills. Or else...

I will have to engage professional help.

A "Damn it!" moment of my life

2009-11-17T09:43:00.009+10:30

Have you ever experienced a "Shit! Damn it!" moment? It's a time when something really bad happens unexpectedly and there's nothing you can do to change it and so you feel like killing something. That happened to me just a couple of days ago. It was Sunday. I was busy studying for my exam which I had to sit for the following morning. Then all of a sudden, there was a power failure. The whole house shut-ed down. I realised this when I open the door to my fridge to get a glass of water and the light in it that usually comes on did not.. well, come.

I thought my fridge was broken due to the hot weather and/or my constant opening and closing and reopening but when I checked the other lights in the rooms, they didn't come on as well! I was like "Shit!" And for the next 10 minutes, I tried to check for any circuit breaker trips. I even risked the re-colonisation of summer flies and opened the back door to check the main power supply to the whole neighbourhood. But unsurprisingly, I had no idea how to interpret the overwhelming information I got from the big box and quickly walked away when I heard something which faintly resembled the ticking of a bomb.

With hope still in mind, I turned on my computer and used what was left in the laptop's battery to google " what do you do when you experience a power failure". Yes, I know. Don't say it. I was directed to a site which states that one should check with his/her electricity supplier when faced in that situation. Having less than half of my handphone battery, I took the risk of forever losing the contact with the outside world and dialled the number of my electricity company. What I got in return was a sarcastic joyous reply from the answering machine which happily related something along the lines of customer service officers do not work on Sundays.

"Arghhhhh! You must be kidding me!"

So reluctantly, I called a friend, who was also having a paper the next day, and related my misfortune. He was kind enough to offer his living room to me for a night to study in, an offer to which I politely rejected. I hate to bother people, especially when I know they are busy. But I thought I should at least let someone know the reason if I happen to be found dead in my house the next day. And there are a lot of ways the lack of electricity flow could kill you. The thought of having no electricity for one night is enough to consume my life.

It was, however, comforting to know that at least my toilet flush still works. At least not everything is malfunctioning. Yes, I know. Don't say it.

So I resigned to my fate and tried to finish cram-ing as much viral and bacterial information as I can before sun down. (The paper I was preparing for was microbiology) It was one heck of a crazy moment. I tried to finish 3 lectures worth of slides in less than an hour!

And then something innate came over me. I went over to the kitchen stove and tried the gas. And I was delighted to see that fire came out from it. But my happiness soon diminished when I remembered that the fire from the stove is the blue kind. Not the one that gives off light. What a let down. But hang on, I've got candles. HaHa. Worst comes to worst, I can be like those ancient scholars and study with a candle at night. That is probably the closest association I can ever get to with them - the common usage of candles for the gaining of wisdom (erm, for the passing of an exam in my case).

So I went to retrieve the candle from the drawer and just as I was about to light it, I heard something coming from my fridge. Its the sound of an engine working. OMG! I quickly reached out and flick on the light switch in the kitchen. It worked! And then I went crazy and checked all the lights in my house. I even checked the microwave. They all worked! It was as if the whole episode didn't occur. Only, it did.

All that drama for nothing.

Eleven and a good friend of mine

2009-11-13T22:12:00.003+10:30

Tomorrow is a special day. It makes me happy thinking about it. Starting tomorrow, I will wake with a smile and while brushing my teeth in front of the bathroom mirror, I will whisper in my heart the number ten. I will keep doing this every morning in the bathroom, taking one number away each time. And if you do it too, you will realise that when you reach the number zero, I will be mere hours away from home. Home, Singapore.

Haha yes, the official countdown starts tomorrow cos no one counts down from eleven. But I can't help it! I am going home soon:D And I am happy. hehehe

But I am sad too:( I am sad because I might not see some of my very VEry VERY good friends next year as we might be doing separate subjects. Yes, I am talking about you lim sze yin. Why must the heavens separate us?? :( I don't even know if you'll be reading this but if you are, I just wanna give you a big cyber hug (cos I know you'll be too paiseh if I hug you in real life) and say a big giganmous THANK YOU! You have added a lot of laughter in my life and have never left me out on your juicy gossips. hahaha but please don't be so blur liao lah. And hor, quit starving yourself. Must be very hard for a food lover like you to live without food for more than a few hours. Especially when everyone around you are eating. Need to take care of your health. Ok, I better stop. Maybe I'll write a separate love letter to you cos the chances are, you will not read this at all and everyone in Singapore is reading it instead.

Alright the peeps from sg, here are some of my recent updates.

1) I have completed 2 of my 4 final papers and confess that I am not very optimistic about anatomy.
2) The housefly count for the past few days is 0.
3) This made me realised that I am less interested in the origin of the cranial bones and more so in the number of potential breeding grounds in my house.
4) It is so hot now I am walking around the house semi-naked. Please don't try to imagine that.
5) I am almost done packing my luggage. Yes I am very excited.
6) They have closed the park where I do my jogging so that the horses can run. Thank god its just a 3 day event.
7) I have ran out of shampoo and am currently low on toothpaste. This is a typical dilemma I will face towards the end of my stay here because if I were to open a new tube of toothpaste to use for these 10 days, what will I do with the unused portion?
8) A burning question, why do we dream and do they mean anything?
9) I have two kettles and one of them is in the fridge because I do not have enough water holders to hold the amount of water I have in a day.
10) I am tempted to turn off my computer now because it is generating too much heat.

And because I am one who cannot resist even the slightest temptation, so I will.

3 weeks and counting... down

2009-11-04T19:41:00.007+10:30

You know what I hate more than exams? Summer flies. I call them that because they aren't the typical house flies you would see in other seasons. They are not as pretty as their name suggest though. Instead, they're huge, annoying, and extremely crafty. One of those nasty pest would wait outside your door in the mornings and once you opened it to leave for school, it would signal to its pea-sized counterparts and all at once, they would zoom into your house like there's no tomorrow. Can you imagine that?! You would have probably noticed that the reason I'm able to relate this incident with excruciating detail is because I have had the misfortune of experiencing it. I have since been actively involved in the eradication of flies of all kinds in the vicinity. Three different species of flies have been identified thus far. Two of which were seen at a statistically higher frequency with the other one having a mere incidence rate of 1 in 50.

Sorry I have to stop writing about the flies cos trust me I can go on forever. They bother me so much that I'd spent one afternoon reading up their life cycles and searching for ways to remove them entirely off the surface of the earth.

Right, moving on.

My finals are on the 9th, 10th, 16th and 21st. So the exams are coming.

...

.......

....................

I am not feeling the adrenalin yet.

On a happier note, two of my good frens just got together! hahaha I feel like a match maker.

And on a happiest note, I'm leaving on the 24th:D

-better set up that fly trap before I go home.

This is where I stop (for the present) - read this again in 2010

2009-10-20T18:32:00.009+10:30

Hello! I thought I had better write something before my semi-dead blog becomes really dead. My exams are just around the corner that means that I have no time for basically anything which involves doing nothing cos even after I'm done with exams, I need to prepare to go home. YES, you read it right. I've got to PREPARE to go home. And I only have 2 days allocated for that. One day to buy everything (the presents) and one day to pack my luggage and clean the house. Busy busy.

Oh I had a weird dream the other day about dead babies. I shall not talk about it now though. I hate to leave you with morbid thoughts while I go away to hide and wait for the up-coming doomsday - 09/11 (my 1st final paper)

It has been really warm since the last time I wrote. My feet is stinking from the hot weather so I am forced into unglam-ness when I swapped my comfy shoes for market-going slippers. I don't like wearing slippers. If not for their lack of formality, they slow me down cos I am constantly worried that I will kick them off if I walk too fast. Sigh. I've got to wake up earlier now to accommodate my slipper-induced slow walking speed.

Attention to Lee Ling of 2010, it starts to get hot around this time of the year. I think I've gotten a tan from the 20 mins journey home from school.

Attention to Lee Ling of 2009, it is currently week 11 and you're less than a month away from your first paper. Shucks!

Thinking about it, this might be the last time I'll be "seen" here! The next time you see me, I'll probably take a more physical form cos I would have already been in Singapore! Haha how fast time flies.

Good bye October. See you next year.

Yeah right

2009-10-08T23:56:00.006+10:30

If only I were a boy, then I won't have to worry about matching my shoes with my clothes all the time.

If only I didn't watch too much TV, then I would have already finished the 5000 word assignment.

If only I hadn't tasted that delicious lemon cheese cake, then I wouldn't know what I am missing and won't be missing it now.

If only I could tell if it will rain tomorrow, then I will know if I should do my laundry now.

If only I knew the questions to the test tomorrow, then I won't have to study till so late now.

If only I knew the ANswers to the questions of the test tomorrow...

If only...

Do you know what time it is now

2009-10-04T21:48:00.003+10:30

When I was growing up as a child I often stayed up till the early mornings doing teenager stuff. Things like playing games online, watching shows on youtube and ever so often my dad would pop into my room and say, "Do you know the time now? Kids don't stay up pass 10. Go sleep." And I would say bad things back like "I'm not a kid anymore."

Now that I am away from home, there's no one to fuss over such things in my life. No one to fuss over me. But still there's a voice in my head. And I didn't realised it is there until I actually repeated its coaxing words out loud. "Do you know what time it is now?"

Sidetrack: Daylight saving started this morning. School starts this tuesday and the exam timetable is out.

"Do you know what time it is now?"

Yes, I do. Its time to study.

The songs in my life

2009-09-24T09:56:00.003+09:30

There are some times in my life when I will be addicted to a song. Sometimes it'll be playing over and over again in my head that the only way for me to get it out is to sing it out. And it sometimes irritate my friends and family cos I'll be singing the same stanza from the song for days. But it's not like I can help it. These catchy songs are constantly around me! Like after I finished the series of a drama, the song from the show will instantly be in my head for the next couple of days. Or when my high school mates kept playing Jay Chou's Qi Li Xiang for days every time our class had a break. Or when I set my ipod to play Independent Women by Destiny's Child so that I can walk faster to my workplace.

But when I stopped listening to them and then start listening to them again after a few months, the feeling I had at that time when I was hocked on the songs will come back to me. For instance, when my ipod starts playing Independent Women while I'm walking home from school, the dreaded feeling of going to work would hit me and for a second, my brain receives mixed signals. It cannot tell if I'm feeling relief that my day is over or if adrenalin should be pumped into my muscles so that I can run to work.

And because I have this tendency of associating the songs I'd listened to with the whole physical, emotional situation that I was in when listening to them, I have come to dislike many songs. Not for their lyrics or the singer or anything. But purely because I have attached negative feelings to them. One of the songs which had the misfortune of being my morning alarm and hence has acquired my dislike is RISE-ASEAN by Stefanie Sun. However I need to mention that this is a great song (mind you, this was the official theme song for ASEAN's 40th anniversary celebrations) and Sun is one of my favourite singers (I love her voice and music style).

For a few seconds there, I searched my mind for a song I liked best. But there are so many of them and I cannot choose a favourite. I like upbeat songs like Lian Ai ING by Mayday, Are You Gonna Be My Girl by JET, Five Colours In Her Hair by Mcfly, First Day by Stefanie Sun, FIR and Mayday, and the list goes on. What are some of your favourite songs?

Let the good times roll

2009-09-20T19:51:00.007+09:30

Hello everyone! Thought I should update a bit on the happenings in my life. I went to watch UP in 3D! I was a little apprehensive at first cos I didn't know what it was about only that its a cartoon animation but it turned out to be a very interesting and inspiring movie. The themes were conveyed using simple, everyday-life examples and so it was very easy to relate to it. Plus we get to keep the geeky 3D specs as a memento.

And then the next day, Friday, we went to celebrate mooncake festival in advance. There were free mooncakes and the traditional cai deng mi. The next picture shows me and my partner in crime of craziness, Sze. The whole bunch of us carried the candle-lit lanterns and walked from uni all the way to Elder Park, attracting the eyes of many passerbys.

Lantern size ratio. 1 (Sze): 0.25 (Peng Soon): 1 (Ling)

Im not sure if its noteworthly but earlier that day, we dissected the very same joey we did one week before. But this time we had to remove the muscle to see the bones and joints so as you can imagine, there was quite a lot of blood involved. I really wish I have a photo of that to show you.

Lab days are over for all but one

2009-09-16T20:16:00.003+09:30

Heya! I've just finished my last wet pract for the semester! What a relief! All living science students would be able to relate to the euphoria I'm feeling now. No more late hours in school. No more long, boring practorials (i.e practicals + tutorials). And MORE daylight to be spent on other fun and exciting things. Even watching the television programs in Aust counts as an exciting activity when compared to attending practs. My tues, wed and thurs afternoons are free:D

Oh I've forgot to mention that I've had my virgin dissection of a whole animal last friday. It was quite an experience. We decided on a joey (baby kangaroo) cos one of my friends didn't want to dissect the chicken and another refuse to cut up any part of a dog. Initially we were all pretty shy and didn't know what to do but we soon got the hang of it and before we know it, we had the whole of the front and hind leg de-skined, exposing the muscles and ligaments underneath. But before all that, Sze had to pull out the animal's insides which includes the heart, liver, stomach, small and large intestines. The bloody sight aside, the overwhelming stench almost caused me to throw up. So although the coming friday is the last day of school before term break, I'm not looking forward to the dissection that comes with it.

I need a break.

Adelaide Show

2009-09-12T10:12:00.006+09:30

Hello peeps its Sept! It's crazily hot today as was yesterday. I am very happy because the hols are just a week away! In light of that, we decided to have an early celebration so we went to the Adelaide Show yesterday night.

Its like an annual funfair thing that goes on for about a week or two at the Adelaide Showground. There were all the typical things you'll see at a funfair and more!

I especially liked the car and motor bike stunts! Its amazing how the driver can have so much control over the machine during the drift (chinese: piao yi) and the group performance was flawless. I caught my breath many times during the 10 mins bike stunts where the bikers jumped the ramp and a few of them actually flew at the top of their jump! What they did was they let go of their bikes and for a few seconds in air, the biker and bike were not in any physical contact. I would love to show you some visuals but was too caught up with the performance that before I know it, it was already over. I'll try and see if Sze has some pictures of the fireworks:)

Same old, same old

2009-08-15T11:46:00.002+09:30

Hello you! It’s August and time for my monthly update/rant/monologue. Semester 2 has started about 3 weeks ago and I haven't the slightest idea as to what is expected of me from Genetics and Anatomy. This is a disaster. And after 5 long weeks of futile search, turning my room upside down and downside up in the process, I have finally come to terms with the lost of my thumb drive. The water bottle which I have been using for quite some time has also decided to fail me now. My housemate is moving out at the end of next month which means I'll be living alone from then till the next person comes which, I predict, will be around November. ~ Lonely. I'm Mr Lonely. I have nobody to call my own.~ Apart from all that, my life seems to be very much the same.

The weather is improving dramatically for the better and so I've started to incorporate outdoor activities into my busy schedule in bid to stay healthy. In conjunction with that, I have made small adjustments in my diet so that I am eating at least 2 different types of fruits a day. Hopefully, I'll be healthier and fitter (and leaner) by the end of the year.

Stacey's birthday is fast approaching and I might not be blogging then so here's a shoutout to Stacey Sim! Happy Advance Birthday! Lup chew much.

Alright that's all for now. Till next time/next month.

The pros and cons of being an Asian in Australia

2009-07-26T15:55:00.011+09:30

Alright guys, I believe the title alone provides enough details as to what I'll be discussing today and since I am a natural optimist, lets begin with all the perks of being an Asian.

1. You are born with the innate ability to do maths. A gift which I silently celebrate everyday.

2. The expectation of your English Language proficiency is generally low. It doesn't take much to amaze the locals since they'd thought you to be monolingual. (And by that I mean, Chinese speaking)

3. You will not be laughed at when you do well in school. Because academic excellence is expected of an Asian. Coincidentally, this is also one of the cons of being an Asian.

4. You are never grounded, no matter what you do. The Chinese homes don't have that under the punishment section.

5. You are indistinguishable between your Chinese counterparts and hence lecturers can never pick on you to answer a question.

Now, lets look at the not-so-good side.

1. You have to bear the occasional discrimination. (Just look at the controversial win in MasterChief)

2. You hardly, if ever, get invited to parties with the locals. (Whatever!)

3. You have significantly smaller eyes as compared to the others.

4. You cannot have a dog.

5. All hell break lose when you fail a test.

But even so, I like being an Asian. I am proud of it. And that sets me apart from some (the international students) and further apart from others (the locals).

Gone are the holidays

2009-07-25T11:42:00.006+09:30

The holidays are drawing to an end. The major problem I have to overcome now is my habit of over-sleeping. I have just looked at my timetable and realised that I will soon hate Thursdays. Cos for the first four weeks, I'll have lessons from 10am-5:30pm with no breaks in between. Crap. Still, I'm looking forward to Monday. It is like a fresh start to a nightmare that I will soon wake up from.

I have yet to come to any conclusion about what I want to do in life. The plan right now is to finish my bachelor degree and see what happens from there. I tell myself not to plan too far ahead and just take opportunities as they strike and so in the mean time, quoting from Sarah, I will just breathe.

My boring life vs the others

2009-07-18T11:35:00.003+09:30

I was just reading some of my friends' blog and I realised they all have a similar theme. It's a "things I did today" theme. And I saw how much difference mine was from theirs. While most people blogged about their lives, I blog about abstract ideas and long ago events. Maybe there's something wrong with me, I thought. So I tried to talk about my life. I started by thinking about all the things I wanna say. And there's nothing. On the scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most boring, the boring-ness of my life would be about 9.5. It is as boring as boredom can get. Maybe its because of the holidays. I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune when school starts.

Just in case you're wondering,

Did
1) went to the toilet
2) brush my teeth
3) bathe
4) had brunch
5) blogged

Going to do
6) read a book
7) watch a movie
8) dinner
9) watch 2 more movies
10) sleep

As such, is my life.

Circular argument

2009-07-12T19:10:00.004+09:30

When I was young, I was made to believe that there are only two kinds of people in this world. The good guys who can transform into superheros when there's trouble as like the power rangers, and the bad guys whose primary aim is to create havoc and destroy all goodness. And it is very easy to tell the good guys from the bad ones. The good guys are ALWAYS good-looking, well-mannered, and they don't ever swear. The bad guys, on the other hand, are always hideous, wore dark clothing and they speak with... well, a witch accent as I would have called it. So when the adults were saying how sorry they felt for young Andrew when he went for an eye surgery and reported to the day care centre with a cover over his left eye , I couldn't understand why no one saw that he was, in fact, the notorious Captain Hook.

As you can imagine, I was already judgmental when I was very young.

But I am older now. I know that not everyone who doesn't fit your idea of good-looking, are bad people. I know that not all cops are good people. I know that it is not always black and white. I know that good doesn't always triumph over evil. I know all that and yet, I want to believe in those fairy tales again. I have learnt life and now I want to unlearn it. I want to believe in heros with special powers and secret gardens with magic flowers. I want to simplify things. Look at the world through a child's eye. But I can't. Because that's just running away from reality. And heros don't run away.

What do you want, really.

2009-07-08T17:41:00.004+09:30

Hi! This year is very different from the last for me. One of the feelings I've experienced (and still am experiencing) is the lack of any feelings. Detachment, I think, is what I'm trying to say. I have implied this before but just never said it out directly. The need to write and report of my well-being is not as strong as it was before (note the drastic drop on the number of posts) and the desire to do well for exams is well, not really there anymore. I think its because I have lost the goal in life.

Last year, I had an aim. I wanted it so bad that it kept the flame in me burning. I pushed myself in everyway possible and then, I achieved it. And because of that, it feels like there's nothing more to want this year. One semester has passed and I don't even know what went on around me. I'm just.. getting by. I know I'll be fine and I'll do well for the exams but, what the hell am I doing?

I'll probably use this break to do some soul searching. Will let you know when I find myself. And by the way, who are you?

Back with the living - exams are over

2009-07-02T08:53:00.006+09:30

Hello! I have just sat for my last and least confident paper and now I am happy to be freeeeeeeeeeee! On the whole, the exam felt alright (it wasn't extremely good but it wasn't a disaster as well). We'll see when the results are out.

Alright anyways since the last time I wrote, many things have happened. There was another ang moh stranger who cannot resist the temptation to speak to me in Chinese, Michael Jackson died, more H1N1 cases, few houses in Adelaide got their roofs blown away, etc etc. None of which I desire to write about. I want to write about something that is close to my heart because that's when words flow like water from a fountain and I don't have to think for too much but there isn't any thing I feel strongly for at the moment. So I reached out into the box of random ideas and pulled out a piece of paper. It read "Lies". So here goes.

It is generally believed that a good man is one who speaks the truth. Nobody likes liars. No one likes to lie. But truth be told, we are all guilty of it once in a while. We lie to make others happy, to make ourselves look bigger, better, and sometimes simply just to make things easier. When a friend ask me " Hey do you think I'm fat?" I have two options. I could stand by my morals and say "Yes, I do think so" but instead I would say " Fat? No, you look fine". Call me a hypocrite but I don't see any good in speaking the truth.

Imagine a world where no one lies. Hmm.. lawyers would be out of jobs!

Seriously though, I don't think it's possible to live a life without lies. So if everyone does it, what's the big deal about lying? I guess that depends upon the severity of the consequences it brings. How severe is severe though? The moral line drawn is blur. In the end, we all rely on our self to be the judge.

I don't appreciate being lied to so I don't like to lie. But I still do sometimes. And that's not to say I don't have a conscience. Afterall, I'm only human.

This is rather random

2009-06-26T11:13:00.005+09:30

Hello there! I'm currently in the middle of my exams and so there really isn't anything happy in my life now to talk about. The stress is so overwhelming, I feel nauseated. On the flip side, because I'm so pumped up, less sleep is required and more time is spent on studying. Good for me.

And aNyways, I had a house inspection recently and we were told to put down on paper, the stuff in the house that requires fixing. One of the problems we had was that we can't seem to lock the back gate. So they had the repair man sent here yesterday and he said something about the movement of the house in summer and winter. Apparently this house CAN MOVE during different times of the year such that the lock on the gate no longer aligns with the grove it was supposed to sit in. Haha I'm living in a house that moves! Fancy that!

Alright I have to go back to studying the anatomy of the human body. Wish me luck. I'll have another monologue with myself again soon :)

kiss kiss You've got the swine

2009-05-06T21:35:00.009+09:30

I don't believe this. It has been more than a year since I've first came here and there are still things that I didn't mention about the Aussies. Alright, I'm going to jump straight into it. It's the way they greet each other. It bothers me. Let me tell you what happened to me one time.

I had a house party some time ago and my housemate had her friends over for dinner. I was naturally invited (cos I'm living here and it will be awkward not to attend). And so I did attend and when I was introduced to one of the female guest, she stuck out her hand. I took it. That's normal, you might say but then she pulled me closer and stuck her face and neck towards me. I pulled back slightly, not used to this form of greeting, then almost instantly, I leaned forward and placed my cheek against hers.

"Oh but that's no big deal. People do more than just touching the cheeks in other countries," my friend told me. And yeah, maybe I'm making a fuss out of nothing. That's why I held my peace until now even though the house party was held weeks before. But I have to say it now. Now more than ever. This has to stop. What do you mean you don't understand me? Well understand this, the swine flu is here, whether you like it or not.

They're coming

2009-05-03T20:31:00.002+09:30

Swine Flu. You've heard it. It's here. Right at our doorstep. The new and improved strain of the influenza virus is coming at us at a rate faster than you can imagine. With the effects of H5N1 still fresh in the minds of many, it is easy to understand why some people are washing their hands more frequently. At a global level, many countries have stepped up their border surveillance. The Australians too are fast to react. As of midnight 1st May, anyone coming from high risk countries and running a fever, will be quarantined.

And the situation is made worst by the flu season. So now if someone beside you on the bus sneezes, you cannot tell if he has the swine flu or just a stuffy nose. Speaking of the flu season, it is so cold now that you'd literally freeze your ass out when you go to the bathroom.

On a separate but equally important issue. Plastic bags will be banned in major supermarkets starting tomorrow. Any shops caught giving plastic bags to customers will be severely dealt with (this means I dunno what the authorities would do but its not anything good). This is bad news because the question now is, what am I going to use to hold my rubbish? With plastic bags now out of the picture, they are now looking to replacing plastic packaging.

So the take home message is, don't come to Australia now. It's a bad idea. But if you must come, bring some plastic bags for me.

Ten past six (dont read this at night)

2009-04-24T19:28:00.006+09:30

I can't believe it is almost a month since I've last wrote something. For those who still checks in frequently and get disappointed all these time because the first post that comes up was the fake story about the fruitless tree, please forgive me. I didn't have Internet until about a week before because of the long Easter holiday (the Aussies are really serious about their holidays), and every time I went to the shop it'll either be too crowded or closed. Yes, you're right. I am just saying this to lighten my guilt.

So, wads new in my life. Well, if you really wanna know, I have a major test coming up this coming Monday and another (less important) one on Tuesday, a 6-hour pract on Thursday and another one on Friday. So this means I've got to cook on Wednesday, clean the house on Saturday and finish up my tutorials by Sunday.

So since we have established how boring my life is, allow me to move on to something more interesting. Let me tell you a creepy story. (haha, creepy things interest me)

When I was about 10, I sketched a clock during my art lesson one time. Even at a tender age, I knew that it was aesthetically more sensible to draw it reading 10 past 10 however, due to reasons beyond my understanding, I drew it reading 10 past 6. It was not a bad piece of work though. My teacher even praised me for it.

Here's the scary part. For the next couple of days, I kept waking at 6:10 am automatically. Before I drew the clock, I have always been waking only when my alarm clock goes at 6:30 am. And when I take naps in the afternoons, I'll wake at 6:10 pm. Is it spooky or what? This went on until I submitted my art work. I did not intentionally wake up at 6:10 I swear. I didn't know how to even if I wanted.

And the scariest thing is, whatever that I've just said, is true. This is not a story I've made up. Call my mum. She can vouch for me.

The tree that bare no fruit

2009-03-27T20:22:00.004+10:30

Having done my homework for the coming week, my mind was free to roam and I was just thinking about one of the trees in my backyard.

We have lots of plants in the backyard, mostly shrubs and tiny bushes and there is one particular tree that stood out from the rest. I've took notice of it for a while now cos I have never seen it having fruits. Ever. Instead, seeds were hanging in places where the fruits are ought to be. It must be weird being that tree, I thought to myself, having to look so different from its counterparts.

Then I had an idea. I reached out and plucked one of the red seeds that was hanging from its branches. Using a little stick on the ground, I dug a hole not far from the fruitless tree and placed the seed in it.

Two weeks passed and nothing happened. Still, I was hopeful. I checked it everyday and watered it frequently. Another two weeks passed and still no sign of anything. I was disappointed. I dug up the seed and threw it over the fence, like how I would a baseball. It fell hard onto the road outside but still I wasn't feeling any better. I felt sorry for the tree. I felt sorry for myself. Then I realised that the tree that doesn't bare fruit, never had a chance to feel at all.

The End.

Hey guys, the stuff above is all made up. My first attempt to incorporate themes in my stories. It helped that I really do have a tree in my backyard baring raisin-looking fruits.

A Proper Goodbye (on friday the 13th)

2009-03-13T19:53:00.008+10:30

Some of you are wondering why I've decide to stop blogging and there have been some, well, speculations about me being emotionally attached to someone and hence not have the time to write. This is not entirely wrong. I've stopped writing mainly because ever since I've moved out of the village, I have close to nothing data downloading space (I dont know how its called) and thus decide to fully utilise it on my studies. And also because of the tremendous amount of work I am given now that I am a year 2 student and thus havent the time to write. And NO I am not seeing anyone. Just in case you're wondering.

This is not really a goodbye as the title suggest. It's more like 'see you in a little bit more than a bit'. Haha pardon me. Havent been writing for so long and now all I can think of is crap.

There is something serious I want to discuss. Please stop reading if you don't wish to use your brain today.

I mean it.

And I havent done this before but I am going to request that everyone who sees this to post a response to this. It's my turn to know what you think. It's a request so I'm going to say "Please".

I've recently been to a bioethics workshop and there were many big topics raised during the one and a half hour session. They range from if battery chicken farms should be abolish to if adult and embryonic stem cells research should be made legal. I want to talk about one of the ideas raised and that was the concept of "sacrificing one for the many".

Let me give you a scenario.

You're a pilot in the air force and your country is currently at war. You have with you on board, 5 other soldiers and you're on your way to pick the last one. If you were to go ahead and pick up that last solder, you will be able to pick him up alive but there is a very real chance of your plane being shot down. If you choose to go back with those already on board, the 6 of you go home alive (and probably live in guilt for the rest of it) but that last person will very likely die in the hands of the enemy. What will you do? Let's make it slightly more complicated. That last soldier is an extremely close friend of yours or a blood related brother. Think about it. Let me know.

If this scenario is too far-fetched, allow me to relate another one.

When scientist make a new medical discovery, there are usually many lab test that it has to be put through and many protocols to follow. This results in many years "wasted". Now, you're a scientist and one of your parents is dying of a heritary disease and you think you've found the cure. But because of the regualtion, you cannot administer the drug legally until it is being tested which takes about 5 years. From your knowledge, your family have less than a year to live. What do you do? Keep in mind that you have all the means to make this drug and if your family doesnt get it soon, the disease might make him/her so sick that even with the drug, he/she will still die. But if you do give the drug, you will lose your licence and reputation forever and also, since the drug wasnt tested, you might be doing more harm than good. So, what do you say?

I hate to do this. I really do. But do think about them, if you will. And don't forget to leave a response. If its too long, send me an email. And then I might just tell you what I'll do under those situations.

This post didnt turn out to be how I wanted it to be initially. Read the title again. Well, that's me. Always distracted. Always sidetracking.

Don't talk to strangers

2009-03-04T22:18:00.003+10:30

You know how our parents used to warn us about all the bad things that would happen if we'd talked to someone we didn't know. Once upon a time, I believed it. And I think it's because I kept holding on to this thinking for a long period of time that it somehow became a habit. So although I am not afraid of strangers now, I do not generally associate with them. At least, not with the ease that the Australians are capable of doing.

This is rather "unacceptable" here. Socially. That is, the inability to make simple conversation with the random people whom you've never met before and will (most probably) never meet again for the rest of your life. Personally, actively engaging in a conversation on nothing more than the bad weather is tough enough, least to say being the one to start a new, but equally boring, topic about the poor transport system.

Talking naturally to people whom I've just met is unnatural to me. But this doesn't mean that I'm not a friendly person. Perhaps it's the way I was brought up in that hindered the path to having good interpersonal relationship skills. Perhaps its just me who's still not used to discussing my life openly to someone I don't know.

Perhaps...

I don't know.

It's hot!

2009-02-26T19:37:00.008+10:30

Did you know?
Some 20 schools in Australia will be closed and children were forced to stay at home due to the threat of bushfires. It's so bloody hot!

Doing nothing more than typing on my computer is stimulating enough to activate my sweat glands. It's SUCH A HOT DAY today and it makes me wonder if the tiny bushes in my backyard would be able to withstand it. I was quite concerned so I went to water them in the morning, just in case. I mean, what if a fire breaks out? I would have lost my house! Oh, offf course I am concern about the well-being of the plants. It's just that, I am more so of my physical possessions.

Anyhow, I hope everyone is safe and comfortable back home. School's starting next week and I'm all geared up for it! Marketing's tomorrow, and I'm sorry Elisa but ice-cream is definitely on the list.

Updates (yes, again)

2009-02-23T17:40:00.004+10:30

1) Going to school was great fun. I'd spend half an hour walking there, half an hour to get my things done, and half an hour walking back. And don't get me started with the heat.

2) Now that I've moved out of The Village, there are many things I find different. One of which involves classifying your garbage. This will be made a lot simpler if they have different colours for different garbage. At where I stay, the normal rubbish goes into the red bin, the recyclables goes into the yellow bin and the plant materials (eg leaves, grass, etc) goes into the green bin. HOWEVER, the bins just off where I live, along the main road, are for general rubbish, BUT THEY'RE GREEN!

3) I had a lot of fun stomping on cardboard boxes today! Cos the furniture I've bought from ikea came in large cardboard boxes, I had to try and fit them into the comparably smaller yellow bin. So I resorted to stepping, folding, and stepping again on them.

4) I perhaps should also mention that I have finished assembling a study desk, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers, and a bed, all by myself if I may add. Talk about independent living.

5) I wanna eat ice-cream but I cant have it because it'll melt by the time I reach home. Why is it so hot?!!

To Singapore

2009-02-17T01:15:00.001+10:30

Dear Singapore,

I am leaving. I am leaving you for a hotter place where house flies thrive, where people greet you randomly on the streets, where the air is dry and where " How are you going" doesn't exactly mean that. Dear Singapore, I am leaving.

Please take care of yourself while I am gone. Keep your people safe and healthy, your city vibrant and alive, your song loud, and always resounding in the hearts of those who have to go away. Dear Singapore, I am leaving.

I will miss all the good food that have nourished me since I was young, the strong land which brought me up to who I am and the lovely people who will stay by me no matter what happens. Dear Singapore, I am leaving.

From: Ling

Heya!

2009-02-14T01:47:00.002+10:30

Hey everyone! Just some quick updates.

I have quit my job. (For real, this time)

My 21st birthday party was a success. A big "Thank You!" to all that turned up. And thanks for the great gifts!

I am leaving in less than 4 days time and I don't wish to count down to that.

I'll probably catch a movie on Monday cos I haven't been to the movies for the longest time. Are there any great movies to recommend, anyone?

All set! (repost)

2009-01-29T02:06:00.003+10:30

I've made a major decision today. Well, it's one of the major academic decisions I've made since the transfer of program. I have decided to pledge my loyalty towards Genetics (my major). This, together with 3 other science subjects namely, biochem, microbiology and anatomical science, shall be the reason for the bags under my eyes for the rest of this year. I have completed my enrolment for semesters one and two and I am all set for March.

I have completed my term at the company I was working for, NOT! The 21st b'day bash is more or less settled. My flight to Adelaide is set. My flight back to Singapore at the end of this year is also set. Everything is going well and now, I just have to finish the oranges left-over from cny.

Random faces

2009-01-09T13:51:00.004+10:30

I think my eye sight is deteriorating really fast. Either that, or I am suffering from some disease that impedes my ability to distinguish one individual from another. I was out the other day at Orchard Road and swear I saw at least 3 familiar faces. I hate this. Cos no matter who is it I saw (or think I saw), my heart will start racing for no apparent reason. And then I'll begin the debate as to whether or not I should go up and make my presence known. If you could hear my internal speech to myself, it'll probably be something like

"Hey! HEY! I know you! You're XXX! Hey wait a minute, is that really her? She looked different. Should I go say hi? (target is walking in the opposite direction and getting nearer) omg she's getting closer. Quick! Decide! But she's with a friend. Better not? OK better not. (walked passed each other and had a split second of eye contact)

And then, almost always, she'll turn out to be NOT the person I thought she was. I feel so dumb. I actually went through all that for a complete stranger. And for it to happen 3 times within one hour is too much for me. My brain is exhausted after all that matching-the-person-on-the-street-with-the-picture-in-my-mind exercise and I am tired of getting disappointed all the time. Hence, I now shift my attention to the buildings and roads instead of people.

So if you see me on the street next time and I did not come up to say "hi", please do not think that I hate you. I didn't say hi because I am still deciding if you're really you.

AH CHOO!

2009-01-07T16:27:00.006+10:30

It has always been like this. My sister will be the first to get it, and it will spread like wild fire to the rest of the family. I am speaking of the flu virus. No, not the infamous H5N1 or the recently resurfaced H9N2. No, what I have is not life-threatening. What I HAVE makes you tear even though you're not crying. It makes doing simple mental calculation seem impossible cause your head feels heavy with fluid. It retards the speech and makes spelling difficult. I have to spell the words out loud as I type them now.
What I have is....

the common cold.

Because my sister is quite delicate, or weak as I will say, viruses can easily invade her immune system and start replicating within her. This sounds gross but it's true. I call her the walking incubator for virus. Currently, everyone in my family is infected by the deadly thing that my sister had and we all have to refrain from our normal duties and stay in bed. Which hence explains why I have the time write this post. My dad and mum are coughing concurrently right now like how the choir sing in parts. I am sneezing uncontrollably which makes the whole thing look like an orchestra. Except that it is not a symphony of music but of viruses vying to see who gets to create more havoc in its host. And the worst thing is, I have a job interview in less than 2 hours time. How am I to impress with the waking of the virus and the continuous singing of the birds in my head and which I am blinded by my very own tears? I can no longer tell if my sentences make sense. Excuse me, I think I need to lie down now.

This might just be my last for 2008

2008-12-08T10:11:00.002+10:30

Hey everyone! As it is written in the title, this might be the last post from me this year. Before I go, I want to say thank you to everyone who's reading this cos you are the ones in my life who cares for me. Unless you're a creepy person and happen to chance on my blog. If you are a creepy person, then NO I do not thank you and please find other means of satisfying your bizarre need for my writing. Alright, seriously though, this year was a very different year for me. Going away makes me understand how different everything is outside of home. The experience I have had living on my own helps me grow not only into a more independent person, but also as someone others can rely on. But I am not gone for good. The knowledge that I will one day go home makes me smile at the end of every day.

Everyone, I am coming home. And I can't believe that I am saying this but...

See you tomorrow!

1.

Nervous

2008-12-07T22:10:00.006+10:30

Tonight is my last night in Adelaide and as I recall the night before I left Singapore, I found that what I am feeling right now is much more than what I felt right before I came here. I am currently at the brink of an anxiety attack.

As I try to calm myself and think of a logical explanation to the appearance of butterflies in my stomach, I realised that I might be feeling so because I fear that there might be some expectations of me that I cannot fulfill. I am afraid that I might miss my flight. And then I worry about leaving things out.

I can't put my feelings into words right now. This does not happen frequently for me. So I don't know how to deal with it.

2.

One, Two, Three and the One and Only

2008-12-06T00:07:00.007+10:30

Most of you should know that I am the eldest child in my family and since I have always been the eldest child and have never experienced what it is like to be otherwise, I often wonder how it is like to be in the middle or the baby of the family.

I guess it's a lot different. If you're the eldest, you're expected to "grow up" faster than everyone else and not to fight with your younger siblings over small things like who gets to be the red ranger or who gets to play with the new PS II and..... stuff like that. When you get older, you get smarter and bolder and you fight back. I remember once I was fighting with my younger brother over some toy and my father saw it.

"Let your brother have it," he said.

"Why should I?!" I boldly retorted.

"He's younger."

Same excuse again. My father always said that when he wanted me to give in.

"But he'll always be younger!" was my reply.

He fell silent.

I thought I had upset my father by being so rude but as I think about it now, maybe he wasn't upset. Maybe he was silent because he understands. My father is the eldest child of his family.

And I don't know about this but I guess the middle kid is easily forgotten and the youngest one is usually spoilt. And as for those who fall in neither of these categories aka the only child, they are not necessarily forced to grow up and definitely unforgettable but they are most certainly spoilt. Though I have to excuse my friend, Sarah from this. She is definitely not spoilt but as for the others, if you're an only child, there is a very real chance of you being spoilt. And if you're rich, you'll be spoilt too. And if you're the only child and you also happen to be rich, then you're likely to be......

..... a good target for kidnappers.

3.

One day less than one day less

2008-12-05T00:03:00.002+10:30

I'd lost track of time.

5, 4.

There is nothing to do

2008-12-03T17:51:00.002+10:30

I have a problem. You see, I will be leaving for Singapore via a 17 hour transit at Darwin and there is nothing for me to do there. Please tell me what you would normally do to pass time.

6.

Great news and greater news

2008-12-02T16:04:00.005+10:30

Apart from going places, shopping, and enjoying life, I have been diligently looking out for houses that are available for rent next year (refer to the post on hunting). I'll be moving out of The Village at the end of this year as it is financially not advisable for me to stay on. And I have found a place! Correction, WE have found a place. One of my current housemate will be moving out with me. And if not for her, we wouldn't have gotten the place. So technically, I wasn't the one who did the shooting. All the credit goes to my friend.

So that's the great news. And the greater news is, I did well for my exams. A lot better than last semester. Now I wish that the lady who thought that I can't qualify for the transfer is still working at the science office. Not that I am bitter and want to " throw her (bitter) words back at her" but I just want to tell her not to judge people as she does. In any case, I am happy:)

7.

Grapes juice is good for you:)

2008-12-01T19:33:00.012+10:30

As you would have known, I've been busy going places. But no matter how tight the schedule is, we still managed to make time for the simple pleasures in life. YUP! We went wine tasting.

We've been to tonnes of winery like Penfolds, Wolfblass, Peter LeHam, Jacobs Creek just to name a few. And we've tried at least 6 different type of wine in each winery. Shiraz, Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, you name it, we've tried it.

I am guessing, but I think we've each drunk about maybe half a bottle of wine after everything. And that explains why we were all a little high at the end of the day.

It's down to 8 now.

The Game

2008-11-30T19:37:00.003+10:30

I would like to start on the game I've promised ages ago. The hint is 911. All the best.

And as I type this last post for the month, it is now 9 instead of 10.

The time is near

2008-11-29T23:46:00.003+10:30

Before the clock strike 12, I'll like to start an official countdown. I will be reaching home in 10 days time.

A question, why do we always start counting down from ten?

Beaches and more photos of us

2008-11-29T22:37:00.008+10:30

The difference between the beaches in Singapore and those in Australia is that there are plenty of pretty seashells in the latter and since no one here picks them, we get to see this pretty sight whenever we go to the beach!

The following are taken at Victor Harbour. The sea water was crystal clear! Very pretty:)

These next ones are taken at encounter bay.

We took a very steep route filled with pebbles and rocks. I am not kidding. IT IS VERY STEEP! See it for yourself.

And Eunice was afraid.

When we got to the top, we saw this creature.

And this breath-taking view.

We didn't quit playing even when the sun was down. We went to Elephant Walk for dessert. And this is how we looked like over there. No camera tricks involved.

Cleland Wildlife Park

2008-11-29T00:00:00.005+10:30

We went to Cleland Wildlife park.

The Koala, a slow-moving creature which spent most of its time sleeping and the rest of it feeding.

Tasmanian Devil

Kangaroos

Homo sapiens

Duck

Weird looking bird

Lizards

Hand of lizard against that of a homo sapien

Snake

Bigger snake

Difference in foot length

Cute kangaroo

We were passing by the koalas' enclosure when I saw this notice.

"What?! What do you mean I'm too short?"

Strawberry farm

2008-11-28T23:12:00.011+10:30

Over the last two weeks, we went to many places because Elisa's sis and dad came to visit. One of the places we went to was the Strawberry Farm.

Endless supply of strawberries!

This one's quite deformed.

The fruits of our labour.

Winnie with her strawberry.

Me with my strawberry and a super exaggerated expression.

Pretty!

Poor Eunice. I told her to put the strawberry into her mouth but not to bite it. Then I told her to bite it but not to chew and swallow. This is all in the name of a nice photo shot.

Last food blog for the year (repost)

2008-11-28T22:39:00.005+10:30

Fried prawns and squid together with a large potion of pork from a German restaurant of which the name I forgot.

Ice cream from Baskin Robbins at Glenelg.

Tasty pizzas in a nice cozy cafe.

Candies! Look! There are more behind me!

Hot chocolate from a cafe in Glenelg.

Chocolate waffle from cocolate. YUM!

Cold chocolate from cocolate. YUM YUM!

Home-made cheese cake. Although shy in comparison (visually), it tasted like those you would find in a restaurant. Thanks Elisa and Winnie!

Janice bought us Krispy Kreme from Melbourne:)

Winnie and I just went Scoozi and had mare pizza and a bowl of (I-can't-remember-what) pasta. The seafood pizza was the best!

I would rather walk

2008-11-27T10:15:00.004+10:30

Most of you would already know this but for the benefit of those who don't, I'll let you in on a little weakness of mine. I have a serious case of motion sickness. I cannot take anything with 4 wheels and which runs on petrol. And a bus ride from Singapore to Malaysia will induce the regurgitation of yesterday's dinner. Yes, it is that bad.

I can't think of any other reason to take the bus other than it saving time. Think about it. Firstly, you have to pay for the ride. Alright maybe the journey is not too expensive but why would you want to spend the money if the distance to be covered is very attainable? Secondly, it pollutes the air. I'm sure you would have to agree with this. Third, it frustrates the mind to wait for a bus that never comes (or 30 minutes later). This is good for patience training and anger management but bad in every aspect otherwise. And the list goes on.

Driving a car is worst. Not only does it pollutes the air, it makes one's blood boil when trapped a traffic jam. You will have to constantly look out for road signs and tune in to the radio station for road blocks. There is a limit as to how fast you can go, and you can't make a U-turn as and when you want. And when you finally reach your destination, there a problem about the parking as well.

Walking resolves everything. AND it is also a good form of exercise!

Hunting

2008-11-26T16:10:00.003+10:30

I am a hunter. I walked for miles and miles in search of my prey. I am very selective. I will not take it if it's not up to standard. When I do see one I like, I aim and fire. And I hardly miss. I am a hunter.

M&M's (Mistake/Mahjong)

2008-11-19T00:21:00.005+10:30

To err is human. Everyone makes mistakes. So do I. Sometimes it's because of ignorance, sometimes I knowingly do it and sometimes I just can't help it. When I did something wrong, I will wallow in self pity, then blame myself (sometimes quite severely depending on the degree and type of consequence it brings) and then remind myself not to do it again. But humans are forgetful creatures too.

This is like having a cut. When I make a mistake, a cut appears on my hand. If it hurts too much, I will add salt to it to make it feel worse. This reinforces the idea of pain and hence preventing the likely occurance of the previous mistake. But from time to time, the soft wind blows over it, taking away the pain. And the wound became nothing but a scar. An unsightly mark on my hand that reminds me only when I look at it. I have lost the stimulus to stupidity.

I think everyone have the right to make mistakes. So I don't blame myself for making one. Still, it is very crucial to learn from it. And even if I can't do anything about correcting the mistake, I will do everything in my power to prevent it from happening again. But things, like people, are forgotten with time. And just as I am about to forget the reason why I reproach myself every night before I sleep, I will be reminded by you. With a knife in one hand and salt in another. So thanks, I guess. Because of you, my path will never stray.

On a different issue:
It's not going to happen. Sorry guys but I will not be doing a mahjong video. This is mainly because I now know how boring our mahjong game could be. I would, however, gladly accept any invitation to a game of mahjong when I get back this December.

Seeing is not believing

2008-11-18T00:38:00.005+10:30

I believe in what I can see. It is hard for me to believe in something like ghosts, spirits, souls or any of the like. No offence, but I find it hard to believe in God sometimes. That's me. (I don't believe in magic either)

Sometimes people come up to me and preach about God or tell me ghost stories but seriously, I can't bring myself to trust them completely. Call me a skeptic. It's just beyond me. (to believe)

But as a science student, I KNOW that our eyes have their limitations. We can only see/decipher things which fall under the visible spectrum. So there are many things which we know exist but can't see.

That's why I am confuse. Should I only believe in what I see even though I know that things I can't see are there?

Exams are over and some other stuff

2008-11-17T00:42:00.005+10:30

Hello people! My exams are now officially over. It was, in fact, over two days ago but I was either too busy or too sick to write. I was having some withdrawal syndromes. No, not from exams but from something I have openly declared having dependence upon - coffee. I went from 3 cups of coffee everyday for the past two weeks, to none at all yesterday.

On exams:
I must say that on the whole, it was not too bad. The questions I invested hours and energy (and perhaps some mind reading ability) spotting came out. And time was not a factor for any paper although I won't mind having more for biology and maths.

I should perhaps also mention that I was almost late for my maths paper cos the taxi I'd booked did not appear at all. But because I am naturally impatient, we quited wating, went ahead to hail one off the road instead and made it at 5 mins to reading time. To people in Singapore, we do have a 10 minutes reading time prior to the commencement of the paper for all our papers.

On after exams:
As I am the only one in the house who's done with exams, I get to cook dinner for everyone and add anything I like in their food hahahaha. No, but seriously, I did made dinner once (with the help of all my housemates) and lunch for Elisa twice, with her helping me once. Hey, they offered okay!

On I-owe-you's:
I am not sure how many of you still remember that I promised a video on mahjong and a small game for those who have finished their exams. (And I am not sure how many are interested in either) But if you are, the video should be up by wednesday, if all is good, and I am currently still reviewing the game. Will mostly likely be posting it only at the end of this month.

On the game that made no sense before:
That game has ended yesterday and congratulations to those who have found the things I wanted you to find. And to those who didn't, you shall never know what they are.

Time is our friend

2008-11-11T16:50:00.003+10:30

I always cringe when I hear the terms time is the enemy or time is against me. I know what they mean but why is there a need to put time in a bad light? We could also say "I would do anything for more time" and it would still mean the same thing.

I don't know about you but time is NOT my enemy. It is my friend and I would like more of it. The absence of it makes it hard for me to breathe.

We all have 24 hours a day. No more. No less. It is how you make of your time that counts.

Good luck to those who are still having exams:)

I cannot XXX now.

2008-11-05T00:17:00.005+10:30

The following are the last things I need in my life right now.

In no running order, I cannot

-fall sick

-lose my notes

-misread the questions

-misunderstand the concepts

-use my calculator until no batt

-waste time sleeping

-waste time stressing out

-waste time in general

-think about things other than exams (but at the same time i can't be stressed out cos that's a waste of time)

-under-estimate the exam papers

-over-estimate the physical aspect of my body.

Spare me the details

2008-11-03T23:05:00.002+10:30

I am a minimalist when it comes to exams.

Just tell me all I need to know and nothing more.

Lists

2008-11-02T15:52:00.003+10:30

Did you know?

I like to do lists.

I like to attach numbers to the things on my list.

I like order, I like predictable and I like to be in control.

That's why I hate exams.

Stuff

2008-10-31T18:24:00.005+10:30

Hello everyone! Just a quick update

1) Life's good. It's hectic. But still good.

2) Weather is crazy. Fluctuates from insanely hot to unbearably cold.

3) It's Sarah's birthday today so HAPPY BIRTHDAY :) It was nice hearing your voice on the other end of the phone again. Brings back fond memorise from those times when we talked for hours about everything.

4) Oh! And I've JUST learnt that there IS a link between genes and behaviour. And it is said that your genes determines the level of your learning ability. This doesn't mean that people are born smart or..... not. Instead, it means that how fast we pick things up is pre-determined by our genes.

5) It's Halloween today so there are tonnes of people dressed in weird-looking costumes roaming the streets of adelaide. It's like there's a massive conjugation of the people who are free (although it is hard to see how they can be THAT free with exams approaching) enough to go trick-or-treating.

6) Fun maths! Tell me a number and I can always find one larger than you. ALWAYS!

7) The game I've mentioned in the previous post, I lied about it having no hints. It does.

8) Just yesterday, another Aussie came up and spoke to me in Chinese again. hmm maybe I should start replying in gibberish. Then they'll learn not to assume.

9) I hate cooking. And all the planning associated with it.

10) It scares me because I am not scared. (of exams)

I'm not dead.

2008-10-21T22:22:00.004+10:30

I am writing today because I know that my next post will be ages from now and I simply refuse to stop at a rant. i.e the previous post.

There isn't anything interesting that I wanna share and I don't like to blog for the sake of blogging (I've mentioned this before) so I propose a game. If you've got plently of time to spare, I'll like to entertain you.

The rules to this game are simple.
Number 1: There are no hints.
Number 2: Everything is a hint.

Seek, and ye shall find.

Hate that I understand

2008-10-19T11:46:00.008+10:30

Warning: This is going to be a rant

I am not very particular about where I physically position myself in lectures but whenever I attend my maths lecture, I get very selective of where I sit. And rightly so as you will soon learn.

My maths lecture hall is one of the places in school where I feel I belong. This owns to the fact that there are significantly more Asians than Australians doing maths. But this is not necessarily a good thing because the root of the problem stems from this very fact.

Reason #1: There are too many people attending that session and I might not get a seat if I'm late. So I basically have to rush to all my maths lectures and that also meant that I cant really chose where to sit since there aren't many places left when I get there.

Reason #2: I am not good in maths. Hence I will need to "offset" this disadvantage by paying close attention in class. This could be easily achieved if not for the girls who were constantly talking about their life behind me. (That's why I am selective about where I sit)

Alright, I might be bias here but those people who can't stop talking, they are from China. My guess is that they can't understand what the lecturer was saying, cos he speaks English, so they need to occupy themselves by talking. I know that the lesson might be boring for them, because they cannot understand his accent, but hello! I am trying to learn something here.

And the worst thing is, they're conversing in Chinese! Why is that bad, you'd say, well its because I UNDERSTAND CHINESE! And it's distracting!

I tried to tolerate this for half and hour, and did a lot of deep breathing exercises at many intervals during this period, but eventually decided to politely tell them to stop.

So I said, " Can you two stop talking?" in Chinese of course, to make sure they understand me. Well, they did stop. For 5 minutes.

And then they continued talking. As if nothing had happened. As if whatever that took place 5 minutes before was just part of my imagination. So I gave up. And now whenever I go for maths, I try to locate myself as far as I can from them.

Congratulations girls! You have made it to the top 5 of my pest list!

Genes and behaviour. Is there a link?

2008-10-18T18:25:00.005+10:30

I have been wanting to write for a really long time but I just couldn't put my thoughts into proper sentences. So I was thinking about life. No, not in the philosophical manner but just the basic mechanics of life.

Warning: This post might get a bit too technical cos I am writing about DNA and genes. Run away while you still can.

I have always thought, as a science student, that our genes are the main contributing factor to what we are as indivuduals. Because there must be a control centre which tells your cells how to behave when, say, you've got a cut for instance. Now, if you don't suffer from haemophilia, a genetic disorder, the innate immune response will form a clot to minimise the amount of blood loss. Anyone and everyone who has the ability to form a blood clot due to a cut will have the same genetic sequence in their gene which codes for this complex blood clotting mechanism. In essence, we're all the same with respect to that particular sequence.

But our genes determine more things. Like our outward appearance. In this aspect, we are quite different. That's how the same species, like homosapiens, can have a wide range of eye colours.

Alright, so far nothing's new. But I was thinking, can our feelings and/or reactions be controlled by our genes as well. Think about it. Does your friends or family react the same way as you when exposed to the same "treatment"? I hate to generalise but chances are that it is highly unlikely. That's why we don't have a crime free world or one that is infested with criminals.

So what makes different people react differently to the same treatment or stimulus? There must be a reason why we are programmed to act in a way and not another. And I think the reason is in our genes.

Busy busy

2008-10-16T15:48:00.010+10:30

I am insanely busy these days

This looks super disgusting I know.

The number of lunch boxes = The number of days I didn't go up to the kitchen to eat.

There will be at least four different materials on my table at any one time.

1) My tutorial question paper.

2) My lecture notes.

3) My answer sheet.

4) My laptop for additional information when required.

My chair has been converted to my make-shift, movable side table on which I put my notes and bag. This is how it normally looks.

This is how it will turn out to be when I am super busy.

Because my chair is taken, I'd sit on my bed and thus have the study table on one side of my bed (check out the light!), ...

... and the notice board on the other. So I am kinna buried under the books of wisdom and wise words, literally.

In times like this, nothing beats a good cup of coffee. This is what Sze and I would have at our "lao di fang" during breaks at school.

Chotto matte kudasai

2008-10-14T16:59:00.006+10:30

There are some things in life I simply cannot tolerate.

1) Walking behind a group of slow moving people who line themselves in such a way that no one can past them without firstly getting off the pavement and onto the dangerous road.

2) Nearing a traffic junction only to find the lights changing to red.

3) Nearing a bus stop only to see the bus leaving the bus stop.

4) Waiting for a friend who was to be there half a hour ago.

In short, I hate to wait. But I have no issues waiting in line for something.

Which is strange.

Like this post.

See Food!

2008-10-09T16:30:00.015+10:30

Marketing video (part I)

Marketing video (part II)

First things first! Sorry for the late post. It took longer than expected to edit and even longer to try and upload. But the marketing videos are finally up.

Second, exams are really near so I won't be blogging as frequent as I normally would. So, I guess, sorry again.

Thirdly, there actually isn't a third so I am going to end this awkwardly right here.

Right, left, right

2008-10-05T20:29:00.006+10:30

Have you ever think its funny how we were taught to cross the road when we were young? The weird notion of looking right, then left, then right again is so... hmm... Why in the world do we need to do that for?

Why do we have to look right again when we have already done it in the first place? If its just to make sure we didn't missed any vehicles earlier, then why DON'T we need to look to the left again? It doesn't make any sense!

And why don't we look to the left, then right, then left? Why does it have to be right->left->right?

I know nobody really does it nowadays so its not a big deal but I'm curious about the logic behind the theory. Are we compromising our safety if we looked to the left first instead of the right?

This is not a joke, I swear. If you know any logical reason to these otherwise ridiculous actions, kindly let me know.

~ END~

Lastest news! Mingying has just solved the mystery! According to her, we look to the right first because Singapore is a right-hand drive country. So the cars come from the right. And then you look to the left for the next lane of cars which comes from your left. Haha but I bet you guys already knew this and I am just another retarded person who amazingly escaped natural selection. No offence to, well, people who might feel offended. I was just referring to me.

Aside to Mingying, thanks again and that was really fast!

8 or 9?

2008-10-05T10:46:00.005+10:30

I woke with a confused state of mind today. Partly due to a weird dream but mostly because I have no idea what time it was. The clock on my phone read 0830. Wow! Looks like I'm all ready for school on Tuesday. Hey but hang on, it's not 0830. It's 0930! Daylight saving starts today remember?

Our rights have been rightfully violated by the daylight robbery of daylight saving. (excuse the pun and irony)

And to the others who are very curious how this is like, this is like when you have only slept for 8 hours but the clock says 9. This is like a lost lunch break, passed you by without your knowledge. This is like turning one hour older prematurely. This is like being robbed of an hour of life.

I am exaggerating, as usual. But the part about me being confuse, that's true.

They are back! (just read those in red)

2008-10-01T23:17:00.004+09:30

It's official.

It is my great pleaSure to inform you that my presence is most crucially required at Wayville, my exam hall.

On the 8th of Nov, the newly recruited guy named Stats will need me to read boxplots and graphs and comment on the linearity and homoscadacity.

Then, I will need to help Maths to use limits and the Gram Schmidt method to obtain orthonormal bases on the 11th.

And then on the 13th, Biology will need me to help him with some respiratory and bacterial infection problems.

Lastly, on the 15th, Chemistry will want me to help him with spontaneous reactions and Gibbs free energy.

Alright fun's over. Its back to studying.

...nothing at all

Conversation (plus a little note)

2008-10-01T15:53:00.004+09:30

" That's why I prefer to write. You had no idea how many takes it took for me to get just one sentence right, " I said.

" But it was fun, wasn't it? And people enjoy seeing you on tape, " L explained, " it'll give a more personal touch than writing. "

" Well, I can write on personal stuff. "

L gave me a look.

" It's just.. well.. I don't really write those cause people already know so much about me, " I said and turned my back towards her. " What else is there left to say? "

Opps wrong question.

" Well, you still gotta admit you had fun, " L said. I was glad she didn't pursue the question.

" Yeah I did, " I said, this time facing her. " Maybe I'll do it again another time. "

(By the way, I just wanted to ask if the video yesterday was clear. Cos if it was, then I'm pretty sure it would've surprised some people that we cross the road this way but no one seems to be commenting on it. Hmm or maybe its just me who's overly excited about it.)

Cross the road diagonally

2008-09-30T21:04:00.004+09:30

This is how we cross the road.

Nature at its best

2008-09-29T23:03:00.011+09:30

It's spring!

Flowers are blooming and animals come out to play!

Look at this pink tree.

Hey sleepyhead! Wake up!

The bees are hard at work. What about you?

The rest of the photos are not what you might term 'pretty' but they all do inhibit this world with us. So, let's learn to accept them more.

We don't see ants unless you're at the beach.

But we do have spiders.

And slugs

And flies.

And worms.

Haha sorry if I've spoilt your appetite for lunch but truly, these are the things you'd see about this time of the season here. Hope you've enjoyed it.

Imbalance is The Balance

2008-09-29T01:57:00.002+09:30

Yesterday, I actually wanted to talk about another type of imbalance in the world but I digressed and it became something else. So allow me to jump straight into the topic today. I want to talk about the sad situation about how some countries are suffering from obesity and some from starvation. These two seemingly extreme problems actually result in the same thing – death.

When I was younger, I naively thought that if the richer nations just give their food to the poorer ones, we will actually solve both the problems. But can you see the problem with that?

Allow me to help you. Recall Darwin's theory on survival of the fittest. This is the basis of our existence. Balancing this imbalance will put us humans at a selective disadvantage. Think about it.

What I want in life = One silly thought

2008-09-28T20:58:00.010+09:30

I always thought that our world is extremely imbalance. The "brightness" of your future depends greatly on the advantage of your birth over others. For example, if you're born to a king your life will probably be very different, in many aspects, to one who's born to a farmer. So basically your future is determined the moment you're in your mother's womb. Of course, there are those who managed to 'make it big' despite their unfortunate situations at birth. And then there are those who managed to do the opposite. But seriously, what are the odds?

Alright, maybe it is easy to become poorer than when you started. (Judging from the number of people going bankrupt now) So I am going to disregard this point throughout my discussion. Let's just look at the number of people becoming richer than they originally were. And I don't mean just becoming the boss of a company from some nobody. I mean becoming somebody the world acknowledges from a nobody. A very good (and overly used) example will be Bill Gates. (I wonder if his name is actually a short for Billionaire $$$) So, how many of him are there? In comparison to the number of people in the universe.

How many of you are striving to be somebody and how many are just taking things as they come? The idea of 'making it big' is really so absurd that we stopped thinking about it and just take what we have. Is that being submissive to fate? Hmm...

I thought about it before. How it would be nice to leave something (like a legacy) behind when I die. And then I wondered what made me think like that. And then I laughed at my silly thoughts.

Places

2008-09-28T17:30:00.005+09:30

Alright I am lazy again. So here are some pictures of the places in Adelaide I frequent.

This was my running path before I started running and playing badminton with Vanes.

Rundle Mall. The equivalent of Orchard Road in Singapore.

TV. Nope, this is not a scene from the television. Rather, this is the common room in The Village where we can play pool, table tennis or just watch tv.

Nice part of my school.

Another nice part of my school.

Chinatown

Alright this is the most interesting part of today's post. This is a photo of a T-junction of a road. Usually, in Singapore, we'll need to wait for two traffic lights if we want to get to the diagonal side of the road. What happens here is that the traffic lights are programmed in such a way that it allows for diagonal crossing. Personally, it's kinna cool.

Big clock on the I-have-no-idea-what's-the-name building.

Coles (NTUC equivalent) and Central Market (most popular wet market).