Alexandra's Blog

Wyatt

2011-03-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

Something I have learned to love is school. It felt dreadful to be away from my family again after half-term break, but now that I have settled back into the entirety of the idea, it is really not too bad. A place where interesting things happen, good or bad, and a place where I learn different things every single day.

I have been a part of Wyatt for almost 3 months now and I love this house, the good and the bad - the fact that our lower sixth showers are under renovation up till Easter, pondering about what food will be served during mealtimes, tidying up our room in preparation for prospective parents who come around to take a look and having toast in the lower sixth kitchen.

The people in this house also play a huge role in my school life. The other lower sixth girls, the good friends I have found within this house, the sewing lady Jane who mended my skirt that had been split by accident and even the cleaning lady who complimented our room. :) I am thankful for all the people who run this house smoothly and all the girls who fill the space with noise and never-ending chatter.

Who am I to complain? Wyatt's laundry is scarily efficient, our rooms are vacuumed everyday and I basically just scoop food onto my plate during meals. Pretty much covers up all the bases of necessity, eh?

I am a happy camper. Besides, I also have a roommate to rant at, act crazy around and drive nuts. :D

Spread the Wyatt love. This house beats all the other houses in Oundle. :P

Prom? Oh, It was last year

2011-01-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

Disgraceful. The way I left my blog the way it is. Stagnant and pointless to readers if there are any out there, really.

I AM IN BOARDING SCHOOL.

Guess you saw that coming. Sorry for the yawn fest that is my blog. And I can't really say I made 100% full use of my last few weeks in Kuala Lumpur but I wouldn't put it in any other way, actually. :D Had loads of amazing and interesting moments with my family and friends. Prom, overnight getaway to Port Dickson, Christmas, New Year's Eve, life...

Hmm... Let me take a walk back in time.

Beginning with prom (LONG OVERDUE, but it had to be recorded down in words eventually)!!

The night before prom, I went last-minute shoe shopping with my cousin Jolene che che and I got a pair of strappy slingback platforms. Not exactly what I would die to wear, but desperation and vanity tends to gets to you and that girly part eventually had to push through somehow. And I also nicked her blue Warehouse dress. :) THAT'S WHAT COUSINS AND FAMILY ARE FOR... one of the million reasons anyway.

The next day, I went to Gardens for my mum's friends' birthday lunch and got my hair done, my make-up was done in Mid Valley. We then rushed over to my cousin Ka Mun che che's house to get some accessories. Changed into my dress and borrowed her pearl clutch before going home. By then, my hair had pretty much lost it. It succumbed to perspiration and humidity. Somehow, my mum ushered my cousins Helena and San San che che and Audrey to bring me to the hairdresser behind my house to get my hair done AGAIN. Two hairdressers ironed out my hair while I sipped Red Bull. NOW. DON'T ASK ME WHY. My mum just didn't want me asleep during prom. -_-" And AHA AUDREY LIM ALSO HAD SOME.

We were chauffeured to Sheraton Imperial by my cousin Jack in his dearest car. (I dare you to count the number of cousins I have mentioned thus far. Entirely helpful yet irritating at times, but that's why I love them to bits.) Priyangkha Alegesam caught our eye in her black gown and awesome makeup. First Bollywood Beauty of the night. And we camwhored with Shufei (AWW SO CUTE!!) Ahehe. I had the nerve to be proud of my false height that night. We waited for the others and then... RHINAA TURNS UP! It was basically "WTH RHINAA IS HERE?!?! WTH?!" I also forgot to mention that due to the Redbull and all, Audrey and I were kinda hyper and were ushering Shufei to her dearest but we failed miserably. Darn it.

We took a gang photo. OHOHOHO. In which most of us think that Shufei and Justin make the cutest couple ever!! No wonder she didn't want to take off that white jacket. *wink wink* They took a couple photo too!! AWW... XD

We entered the ballroom (I think 70% of them were not form our school) and well, the night sort of got off just like that. Our table was great. The food was not too bad. The announcers had Australian accents. Their games were 10 times worse than their accents. The dancing and lip-syncing/singing ladies looked similar. I am glad to say that Rachel, Pri and Shufei all won gifts from the lucky draw! YAY!! Then there was the fashion show and a few titles thrown here and there. Some bands performed too. Audrey, Peter and I had a jumping/bumping session on the dancefloor. We did some random shots of ourselves while Mizz Nina sang in front of us. Not much to be missed from her performance, I'd say.

We left quite promptly after the Atlas band came out and dessert was done. Us Cinderellas had to leave at 12AM or 12.30AM, you know. We had a few more photos here and there and the night ended with hugs. My cousin sent me and Audrey back to my place. My first sleepover with Limmy!! Whoppeee... We watched a movie downstairs in my TV room and fell asleep. Then we chatted until early morning back in my room. HAHA. It was random and at times I just fell asleep. Sorry for the one-sided conversations, Audrey.

The night was good and despite some people's absence ~~giu~~, it was a great night and no doubt it will remain a memorable one for me.

Alas, I need to back up into the present now. Going down to meet the house friend Tessa. She's a nice lady. With biscuits. :)

Nighty night!

Karaoke

2010-12-15T20:21:00.000-08:00

I relived Worst Case Scenario for a Karaoke session. :D WITH MY FAMILY. Off-tune singing, several games, the atmosphere and all. It's been long since I last heard a bad medley of voices live. To say I didn't contribute to all the singing would be a lie. That was totally rhetorical just to make myself not appear as the shrieker. Anyhow, it was entirely priceless!! Learnt how to let loose and well, sing or do weird things with your family. It doesn't matter if you don't know the song or whatever because everyone is actually out to have fun. :) And... Whaddaya know. SPM FINALLY ENDED YESTERDAY ~~after Chinese (worst paper EVER) and EST.~~

"Why do they call it karaoke anyhow? Was it invented by a woman named Karey Oke?"
- Ted Mosby, HIMYM

I don't think I could ever get enough of that show!! HIMYM FTW! XD I can't overuse Barney's favourite word but... it is LEGEN-wait for it-DARY! haha

When SPM is over...

2010-11-25T05:05:00.000-08:00

After SPM, I want to:

1. learn how to chop properly without leaving the small irritating bits to my maid or mum or ama (I NEED KNIFE SKILLS)

2. buy some new knives (always wanted a nice Chef's Knife with a conventional silver handle or maybe one with a grip)

3. make at least one Jamie Oliver dish by myself

4. finish reading the Hunger Games books (NEED. TO. READ.)

5. finish reading Shufei's Artemis Fowl books (sorry!! D:)

6. make some cards (IT'S BEEN SO LONG)

7. prepare my winter clothing to endure the beginning of next year

8. learn how to cook one of my favourite dishes from my ama

9. drink more milk

10. add a new TV show to my weekly to-watch list

11. finish reading more books

12. get The Sims 3 and some Nancy Drew games (guilty pleasure)

13. prep and decorate and get gifts for Christmas

14. make new stuff

15. get some multi-coloured markers

16. spend everyday like there's no tomorrow before I leave Malaysia

17. laze around

18. visit some shopping malls and check out the new shops, but most importantly, THE CHRISTMAS DECOR

19. go to Isetan to indulge on some stationery (guilty pleasure)

20. prom? (whoopee! I remembered :O)

21. eat loads of food that I will not get in UK

22. buy the latest Spongebob DVD

23. grow taller

24. get a hot water bottle (winter prep)

25. teach my dog Buddy a new trick (not swallowing marbles and stones cos she does that no matter where they are kept)

26. prep for mum's birthday next year

27. catch up on TV shows (HIMYM and House)

28. write something (hopefully nothing terrible like my Continuous Writing essay I did for English -_-" WORST DANENG-WANNABE-TURNED-BAD)

29. get those Christmas songs

30. pack before I leave :'o

That's one long list!! Hope I can get half of it done before the 3rd of January 2011. Taking it day by day. Trying to finish 30 things in 19 days, eh? Ah, such is life. Always trying to pursue the impossible.

P.S. Grow taller is going to be on my To-Do List forever and ever, till the day I... grow taller?!

Thinking Why

2010-10-12T09:20:00.001-07:00

Why? Why? Why?

I somehow am questioning the fact that I opted for EST and did not take up English Lit. Not that I hold any offence towards science and technology, but... the feelings still remain. I guess going through the Sixth Form Courses booklet ignited those thoughts. And also one of my old schoolmate's blog in which she somehow summed up that English Lit was all about writing. Something which I enjoy but am undoubtedly lacking in practice and well, English Lit sounds interesting. Then again, A-Levels' Lit is definitely a step above the SPM standards and I do not have much of a clue when it comes to the basics of Shakespeare's tone and language and portrayal. Our lit for English 1119 is mostly about rain gods, diamond necklaces, pearls, sound machines and a whole bunch of people going crazy. There is at least one crazy or mad person in almost every story we learn. Klausner, Mokgobja and his clan, Kino who punched his wife and Wilson who became a recluse. The poems and stories are not too bad but I don't think I can dive into the world of Shakespeare just like that. Don't think I have the chops to get in there. :S

On another note, Psychology is also quite appealing. Why this, why that? Why do people like me feel more at ease typing on a computer rather than writing things out? Well, as my mum said, FOCUS ON SPM FIRST :)

There is no more time for regret and I should be instead channel my focus to Chinese, all 3 Pure Sciences and Sejarah instead!! Afterall, I am not taking English Lit or Psychology for SPM. We shall leave those matters for another time.

If anything, I have learned that learning requires more than just enthusiasm. OH WELL.

Journey with the Yeast

2010-10-11T05:54:00.000-07:00

Take a deep breath. And now, we shall begin.

I have a huge fetish for food (who doesn't, really?) and a penchant for opening countless tabs revolving food and recipes. Many of them I rarely attempt, but just watching a cooking video or reading a blog post of food sort of ignites a certain want and hope within me to cook. Blame the internet and the photographic technology which has the ability to make people drool at their computer screens. All these lead to dreams of cooking and I for one, took a plunge into the pool of bread-making.

I watched a podcast episode by the Working Class Foodies on Hungry Nation about baking Irish Soda Bread. Without yeast in the equation, it seemed fairly simple to tackle such a task. After all, what could go wrong with all-purpose flour, water, buttermilk and baking soda? Due to reasons I do not know of, my two attempts failed and I turned away from bread-making in defeat. Absolutely no one could stand that soda bread (besides my dogs who had good chews out of that bread). I am not a good baker. Nor am I a good cook. I am just a good eater.

Yesterday, I had the sudden idea of making pancakes form scratch in the morning, but turned away due to cravings for salty food.

Me: Eh, kak. Saya nak makan yang masin laaaa...
Maid: Makan garam la.

In the evening, I decided to gather up my spirit of adventure and venture back into the world of bread-making. I got the recipe for No-Time Bread from The Kitchn and set to work in my usual way. My way is highly disorganised and I am hopeless at following recipes properly. No kidding. At least one mistake every single time without fail.

No-Time Bread by The Kitchn

1 loaf

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (two packets)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer put the yeast, sugar, and water and let it sit.

Heat the oven to 450°F. Put a Dutch oven (or one of these alternatives) in to warm as the oven heats. Get out your flour, salt, vinegar, spray oil, and anything else you need.

Now that the yeast has had a few minutes to bubble up, add 3 cups of the flour as well as the salt and vinegar and beat for several minutes with the paddle. Add the last 1/2 cup of flour and switch to the dough hook and beat for seven minutes. Alternately, knead vigorously for five minutes, or until the dough becomes extremely elastic. This will still be a wet dough, but not goopy. The dough will clear the sides of the bowl but still stick to the bottom.

Lightly grease a microwave-safe bowl with vegetable oil and transfer the bread dough to it, rolling it in the oil. Cover the bowl with a very wet towel. Cover the whole thing with a dry towel and put in the microwave. Microwave on HIGH for 25 seconds.

Let rest in the microwave for about five minutes.

Microwave on HIGH for another 25 seconds, then remove.

Let rest and rise for another 15 minutes.

Shape into a ball and plop into the preheated pan. Quickly slash the top with a knife. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature hits 210.

There you go. Looks easy, right? Well, I have a talent for making everything difficult and messy in my life and this time was no different. After placing my pot in the oven, I rushed to get the yeast which was lying in my fridge and the bread flour I had requested form my aunty the month before. The yeast did its work while I set on forming the bread dough. I substituted about 1/2 cup of plain flour for bread flour since there wasn't enough to go around. I also over-splashed the Balsamic vinegar while trying to figure out whether it was open or not and surprise, surprise, there was a hidden hole which I had missed.

Without a standing mixer, I began to knead the sticky mixture with clean hands and felt the sticky stuff oozing through my fingers. Slippery and irritating, but the punching it was kind of fun, especially when you get to feel the air rushing into the dough. TAKE THAT, DOUGH. Next, I followed the instructions and transferred the dough to a well-oiled bowl. My first time using cooking spray and boy, that stuff does not smell like oil at all, more like WD-40 and you do NOT want to sniff in any by accident. Seriously.

I then covered the bowl with a wet towel, followed by a dry towel before heating it in the microwave. Bio moment: the heat from the microwave should provide the optimum temperature for yeast to do its fermentation and the added sugar provides a ready source of glucose for the yeast. I think both of these contribute to speeding up the entire bread-baking process unlike the traditional method which requires hours of patient waiting for heat and time to do their magic. (I'm no scientist and really, the Kitchn did the explanation, I APPLIED my knowledge :P)

The dough rose and due to small bowl, part of it stuck to the wet towel and so, it was transferred to another bowl. After the rising, the mixture was dumped into the hot pot which sizzled and then back into the oven it went. I missed the "Shape into a ball and plop into the preheated pan" part. Failed attempt to slash the surface as well. Thus, the unruly surface and amateur-looking bread.

The interesting part was when I misread the instructions where I was supposed to bake it with the lid on and then remove it after a while. I did my own guesswork after jumbled up the sequence a few times based on my observations, which were so-so. Being such a genius, I tried to cover the pot in the oven using an oven mitt and... the mitt burned. Seriously. I noticed the smell, removed the mitt and threw some water on it. -_-" I actually sort of paused for a moment while putting on the lid and the mitt was burned by the heating element. @!*&^!*%&!

Once I saw a part of it becoming slightly dark brown, I removed the pot in anticipation and for a moment, I could smell the bread and hoped for the best. I didn't want anymore rock bread. I had yeast, no soda. I took a moment to take in the smell and God knows how, the pot slipped from my oven mitts and I got burned on the inner part of my right arm. -_-" Well, at least the pot did not break despite my reflex from the heat. I applied Darlie toothpaste on my burn immediately after a quick wash. You are actually supposed to leave the water running on the burn to take the heat away form the burn... But yeah. I didn't know at that time. You learn things the hard way. I learned my lesson after washing off the toothpaste and noticing that my burnt skin had turned grey.

On the bread's side, it passed the knock test. A nice hollow sound it made when I tapped the bottom. Music to my ears. Then, my maid and I gave it a taste test. It passed. The outside was crunchy and the inside was rough like those rustic breads. Not too bad despite the very few under-cooked parts within. Well, it was far better than those lumps of soda rock bread I made last time. And my dogs enjoyed it too. Me and my maid were sick of bread last night. No joke there. After eating the crust for the umpteenth time, the magic sort of wears off.

And that is my bread-making story. Till then.

UK and Family

2010-09-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

Things about a family. They can make you, yet they can break you. They can love you and look over you, no matter what. They truly care about you, flaws and all, fat or tall.

UK was an amazing experience. My 2nd time over there after 6 years. :D My brother and I flew by Emirates so we had to stop over in Dubai. Burg? No. Long queues leading to the ladies'? Yes. Oh and during the first flight, an old guy next to my brother held up his porno mag (clue: topless women covering... their top parts? -_-") with pride. His wife? Snoring away, or was she pretending not to know him? What a pity for him because the lights were turned off and he could only glare at the ceiling before putting it away.

We arrived in Manchester Airport, the passageway to the arrival hall adorned with Man-U ads including Rooney and his open-mouthed game-face. First thing I noticed about UK was that food was EVERYWHERE - crisps and chocolate vending machines, drinks and sandwiches sold in pharmacies, cafés in every corner etc. My uncle and 6 year old cousin picked us up at the airport and then we went on a 30-minute drive to his home in Hartford, Cheshire. I was psyched at the open countryside and basically went into Jakun-mode when I saw Friesian cows and sheep :O Passed through villages with nice architecture, pretty houses and more meadows and fields. And finally, my uncle's place called Swallow House and it's a cosy home with a nice garden overlooking an open field. :) The next day, we had Indian food and went to a park near the Anderton Boat Lift.

My brother went to settle his new place in London on the 6th, so I stayed in the countryside, tried to study Biology, walked to the shops nearby and my cousin's school and enjoyed the fresh air with 4 layers of clothing. My birthday over there was my first without my parents and family so I felt homesick. I had a Cornetto from my uncle's stash, which was nice. That night, I experienced outside English food for the first time and disliked it. -_-" It was a hearty meal as they call it, but I think the gravy spoiled it for me.

My uncle and I travelled to London by train on the 8th for my brother's graduation ceremony. We dropped my hand-luggage at my brother's flat and rushed off for the ceremony. It took place in a hall at the Institute of Education, nothing too grand. My uncle and I were having a mini-commentary session while awaiting my brother's name to be called. It felt nice to be there, to be part of an occasion and be proud of him XD AHAHAHA. He did well, graduated with first class honours and I certainly hope that I will be able to follow in his footsteps. After the ceremony, we ran to his university campus in the rain for the post-ceremony reception. I drank Pimm's for the first time, mistaking it for punch -_-" and had a few canapés. Being a good sister, I followed my brother outside to help take photos of him and his fellow graduates. :P Basically, I was maneuvering and standing on my toes to rise above the Hong Kong and China fathers who also wanted to capture the moment.

After the reception, we went for dinner at Pied à Terre, a fancy 2 Michelin star French restaurant near my brother's place. XD The bread was GOOOOOOOOOOOOD. You get to choose bread from their bread basket and ALL OF THEM WERE BASICALLY HEAVEN IN A BUN. The appetisers were amazing, so pretty and yummy. My starter was poached scallops with puréed seaweed sauce and some caviar, which was really filling and tasty. For my main course, I had Icelandic cod with vegetables and special sauce. THE COD WAS SO SPECIAL AND TASTY AND THE COD OF ALL CODS. Maybe in Iceland, their cod is different, but it tasted extremely fresh and didn't have the taste of normal cod (slightly sweet to me). The sauce for the cod had so many aspects to it, I have no idea how they managed to make it taste like that! I think it was the vegetables which gave off different tastes, or maybe there was more than one sauce. GOD KNOWS. I just know that it was really really really good. XD My uncle went back on the 9p.m. train and I had a quick change before my brother whisked me off to the underground. I got my first Oyster card (my public transport baby) and we took the tube to M&S at Marblearch. :) The thrill of using the London tube is that you are rushing by people who are also rushing and you get to your stop efficiently, managing to even squeeze in some people-watching in the heat of the moment. Thank goodness my brother's flat is directly opposite Euston Station so it is relatively easy to get home and go out and about.

My visit to Oundle was on the next day. I suited up (HAHA. BARNEY! XD) and my brother and I set off for a 2 hour train ride from King's Cross (Harry Potter, I know where is Platform 9 and 3/4) to Peterborough. During the train ride, I had Pret sandwiches which were s0 yummy X3 From Peterborough, we took a 30-minute cab ride to the school. Actually, there are no school gates. The school grounds is actually in the town and the town is part of the school. A little confusing, but that is basically the concept of their school. They have great facilities there and nice school buildings. My personal favourite was the SciTech building which is basically all labs and really up-to-date. They have an electron microscope, atomic force microscope, a new seismograph (which managed to detect the New Zealand quake :O) and a wind tunnel. And that was just the Physics lab :) They have a few animals for Zoology and a greenhouse-ish area for Botany. For Chem, their prep room is 5 times the size of ours. XD EXPERIMENTS! I wish. They also have an athletics track, hockey fields, football fields, various courts for racket sports, an indoor swimming pool and almost a mini-field each for every boarding house. :O COOL. Now, let's see what sports I can play... Err... Nevermind. Had lunch with 4th form girls who towered over me, -_-" THEY'RE A HEAD TALLER THAN ME! Interview wasn't too bad and my brother accompanied me the whole time (even during the interviews). AHAHAHA.

In the evening, we went back to London and watched Lion King the Musical. The costumes were fantastic and the singing and music was superb. I enjoyed it immensely! The baboon Rafiki was played by an African woman who could really sing, speed-talk in a certain Afrrican language and be funny at times. The stage and set was well done, a spiral slope could appear from the flat stage and they even had steam vents and many other great props and costumes. I liked the fact that they were not totally covered head-to-toe in a costume, but they utilised different materials to create unique outfits and props for the characters. After the musical, we went to Chinatown for roast duck rice. I finally had SOUP! Well, spicy Sichuan soup which was hot and nice. :)

On the 9th, we had Spanish tapas for lunch on Oxford Street and went shopping. :D Basically, we did a lot of walking, but I'm not complaining. XD IT WAS FUN! H&M!!! We tried to get an iPhone 4 for my aunty, but it was sold out (surprise, surprise) and there was going to be no stock for another 2 weeks or so. We went to Selfriges for gelato which was cold creamy goodness. For dinner, we had Korean hotpot at Assa in Soho with my brother's flatmate. The pajeon (Korean pancake) was really yummy, crisp on the outside but spongy on the inside. YUM! And that Kimchi soup was good. (SOUP IS GOOD. Well, at least good soups are.) In Soho, there are many cafes and you can basically see long queues of people waiting to get into clubs and bars and well, let's just say, you also get your fill of interesting characters there. There is this booth/stand in the middle of the avenue and you might be thinking: why are dudes standing there? Well, those dudes are peeing. What the crap. THEY HAVE A PEEING STAND/BOOTH FOR DUDES. -_-" And my brother told me that that pee is deposited in some tank which is then collected by some truck. @!£%£&%^~@?! Look at the bright side, at least that saves them from peeing on the road and sidewalks. -_-" Whatever.

We met up my cousin and her husband for dim sum lunch the next day at Royal China Club. It was really good for London dim sum and the siew mai and ha gao (prawn dumpling) were almost unreal. I couldn't believe that you could get dim sum that delicious in London! :O We then made our way to Selfridges. Somehow, I even managed to get more t-shirts (I think I have a thing for t-shirts) from Zara, YAY! We then walked to Soho to get cupcakes from Hummingbird (THEIR RED VELVET WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING IS TO DIE FOR) and Scoop for gelato (both highly recommended by my cousin Helena who ate gelato almost every other day while she was in London for 2 weeks and still came back skinny as a stick). That gelato could have been the best I have ever had so far. I had Caramello and Hazelnut. Both were smooth and creamy, delizioso. X3

My brother and I went back to my uncle's place in Hartford the next day by train. The day before I left England, we went to Chester, supposedly to check out a few historic sites. But instead, we went shopping. YAY! HAHA. We had lunch at a French cafe and bought soap. XP My brother got a pair of sandals because my new dog Buddy used his as a chew toy -_-" We then took a train to Crewe and then to Hartford, stopped by the Cooperative for stuff to bring back home and my uncle picked us up to get dinner - fish and chips. First, NEVER BUY FISH & CHIPS WITH YOUR COAT ON unless you absolutely love the smell of oil as your own personal scent (fortunately, we knew that and left ours in the car). Secondly, go get your fish & chips early. Friday is apparently fish & chips night in UK, but it seems like they don't really care much about arteriosclerosis so don't take any chances. Thirdly, their chips portions are BIG - think 2 large chips from McDs but in the form of the thicker and rougher cut chips. :) That's it. I mean, you have to give it a try, right? It wasn't too bad, but that oil really fills you up and gives you an uncomfortable feeling afterwards.

For the last day, we basically stayed in my uncle's house the whole day and cancelled our plans to cycle to the town nearby, Northwich, because it was raining and the weather was slightly unpredictable ~~and we were lazy~~. We finished our packing, had an early dinner, said our goodbyes and my uncle sent us to Manchester Airport when he got back from work. In Dubai, we had Pinkberry frozen yoghurt!! Mine was original with strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. I tell you, this is THE FROZEN YOGHURT. Cast aside your Tutti Fruttis and just try Pinkberry, you will never go back. XD Sadly, there is no Pinkberry in KL. So... We shall have to wait. Patience is of essence.

Without my brother, I would have been lying asleep on the cafe table in Dubai and missed my flight due to that reason or some other sleep-related reason. Thank God he followed me. I really thank my lucky stars for my brother, not only because he is far more responsible and looks after me, but because he can also be naggy and a pain in the butt at times. What else are siblings for? :P

OKAY. I NEED TO SLEEP NOW. I can't believe that I still have jet-lag. Geez. Good night!

Looking Up and Down

2010-09-01T06:53:00.000-07:00

It struck me this morning that I would be celebrating my birthday this year without my Popo. Weirdly enough, the last time I posted, it was also about HER. Ah... But the Earth now has one less angel and Heaven got her about a month ago. 0:) THE HALO! I did dream of her and spent time with her and weirdly enough, it's good to know that she's near, even if they are just dreams or memories. :)

Anyhow, INCEPTION. My dedication for it is long overdue but I can just keep on singing praises about it and I NEED THE SOUNDTRACK NOW. You should get it by now, it was EPIC. The dream. (cue for Barney) LEGEN-DARY!

This post was dedicated to Shufei and Giuleta. WHY? Cos they accompanied me to meet Mr. Sheat for my forecast results. Being the shameless coward I was, I needed someone to warm up the atmosphere before I jumped into "annoying" mood. I enjoy scaring him. Like when Giuleta and I started a fight during our neutralisation experiment, or the other few experiments that followed it. Good times. Good times.

I AM FLYING TO UK ON SATURDAY EARLY MORNING! SO... WISH ME LUCK ON MY INTERVIEW & LET'S HOPE I GET TO GO TO A FARM.
(fresh eggs and fresh milk? is it a dream? stopover at Dubai? will I be awake to catch a glimpse of the Burg? will I be able to study for trials?)

I Don't Like Emo

2010-07-24T02:48:00.000-07:00

Hmm... Reality makes me emo and I just feel like spilling it all out.

Yesterday, I went to visit my Popo. As you should all guess by now, her condition is deteriorating and as with cancer, you cannot do much about it. The pain meds are there to make her feel more comfortable as it goes on until her last moment but I never thought it would be like this. I am not trying to be so naive and dream for a miracle cure but reality never struck me that hard before. I put on a surgery mask before I went over to my grandparent's house with my brother. Other than preventing my flu and cough from spreading to my Popo, it helped to hide my expression, somewhat so important.

First thing I noticed was the dismantled bed. Then I went into her room and saw her on her new hospital bed. There was a slight look of struggle on her face, her ability to speak now almost gone, her strength already taken from her. I went to greet her and held her hand for a while. Reminded me of the time she took mine to pray with her when she came over to visit us everyday last time, her smile when she read the Upper Room with us and then left for her own home with a smile and wave. I finally understand why we took that family picture. She wants us to remember her that way, she saw it coming and did what that was necessary before it all came down upon her.

I felt like crying when I saw her writhing around and I actually prayed that she would just leave soon. I hate to give up my family members the most, everyone does, I think. Without that one person, we would feel more lonely, or maybe a piece of the puzzle gone missing, basically I feel like a child whose toy is going to be taken away forever, something I would never give in to. But now, I think it is time for me to let go. I know that she will go where she belongs, God has a place for her and all of us already know that.

Now, I pray for her to be in comfort, although numbness might threaten to lift her away, I will leave that up to the greater good. If there's anything, I hope she leaves without feeling the pain, the hardness of her stomach and all that bothered her along her journey. I know I will miss her so much. But if it is for her, I would rather let her go. I want her to be happy and I know she will.

Life Goes On

2010-07-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

Time passes so fast. Four more years to the next World Cup. Seriously? It feels like an eternity already. I now own an Argentina jersey and cap that I plan to save for the next four years. My sleep cycle has been deterred for the worse and now the only cure is some league where I can watch Messi play properly ~~without being blocked by at least two people~~. Heck, he can be blocked by whoever, as long as he scores a goal. After complaining about his ads, it turns out that I am actually a fan of his. I also came to enjoy watching football *surprise surprise* due to the World Cup. Actually, the football stalking is about to begin. Barcelona FC, my eyes are on you now.

TO EVERYONE (GIULETA):
That's XABI Alonso to you, not Xavi. Google it and see for yourself.

Ages since I last blogged, really. Finally got the Bronze CAS Award which I will not be going to collect at CILC. The signature collecting part is THE WORST THING EVER.

I also got selected for our dear country's National Service. Just peachy I tell you, a can of peaches right there. I could somehow sense it (being the only child besides my brother who DID NOT get NS), but the cloud of denial and hope for a lucky way out was nice while it lasted. My brother is supportive and I have my entire family somehow giving me funny ways out and opinions so far out. My pop even sent me a SMS with "OMG" in it. That's really something there. But I am going to postpone as my parents think that half a year without study will make me a blank page, me with my short-term-memory problem. I also fear breaking off from studying. My soul will deter and for all I know, I might become some lone copywriter or clerk for a random company. NO WAY.

Academic week has been a rolling hill for Harimau. One moment we are at the top, then we roll down a little and hike up a bit. :P I REALLY HOPE THAT WE CAN STILL WIN THE FIRST HOUSE CUP! Harimau just has to. Really and truly.

When I see my Popo, I suddenly realise why I have this connection with old people (enjoying writing about them, talking to them etc.). But when I overheard my Ama saying that my grandma had only 2 months more to last, I just felt so empty inside. But when I see her, I just hope for my Popo to go in peace. I know I will not be able to contain the tears then but by all means, if she is going to suffer, I rather her not go through the pain and go where she belongs. It is like how death used to be such a taboo, but since that time when we first found out and we started counting down the days and making predictions that did not come true, it just changed. You cannot fear death, you just fear when it comes close and tries to cling on before truly catching on after the very last breath. I used to feel so helpless when it came to things like these, but it has in a way strengthened me, I guess? Life goes on and it will not end until my eyes are unable to open, my senses all muted and basically, all systems lock down in my body.

I still have so much to say but I need to sleep now. Good night.

Free

2010-03-13T00:45:00.000-08:00

EXAMS ARE OVER. Results are coming. Even I can't hide that. I'm dead for BM, Maths, Add Maths, Chem, Bio, Moral and Sej... PHYSICS.

Today, I went to watch Alice in Wonderland with my mother. Apart from being wow-ed by the costume and design. I WOULD KILL FOR ALICE'S DRESSES (except for that red one) & ALL THOSE FANCY HATS!! Really neat stuff. The story was not too bad other than Alice's spunk in the beginning which I found to be a little irritating. Not that I would want to be a "knight in shining armor" in my "dream" anyway. I'm not that brave. Or am I? :P JOHNNY DEPP as MAD HATTER was like a match made in heaven. Even if I couldn't really get that part where he mumbles off in a thick Scottish accent (another part of his genius). Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. HAHA! Now that's where I was a little surprised - her English accent, compared to her rather colourful Valentine Day's "adult-entertainment phone operator". Haha.

So after the movie, we went down to the concourse area in Tropicana City to take a look at the Apple products fair. I ended up queueing up for a lucky draw to win an iPod Nano/iPod Shuffle/Magic Mouse/Bluetooth headset/Nothing. You know how I just cannot let up on free stuff. I am a junkie for that sort of thing. I don't mind winning the iPods. I could give them to my cousin. Alas, I only won a Bluetooth Headset which came along with the typical freebies (a hat, phone strap etc.). Same went for my mother. :O The 3 people after her won 1 iPod Nano and 2 iPod Shuffles (1 iPod/person). Anyhow, I feel that both of us should already be thankful that we have our own iPods. Yeap. As for that Bluetooth headset... To be put into good use in the near future, perhaps? XD

I HAVE BROUGHT MY MACBOOK OUT FROM EXILE.

Typing feels so nice. :D The Enter key is still being a nut, but a nice one at times. More manga for me (YES ALEXIS!! I'M DOWNLOADING HIATARI! XD) and my beloved Cross Game anime. Only one or two more episodes before the end of Kitamura Koh & Tsukishima Aoba. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

Rough was also really good. AWW... Keisuke Yamato & Ami Ninomiya. I am such a loyal shipper.

Yeah. We all wish for an Adachi guy somehow. THEY ARE ALL SO AWESOME!! XD

Here's one blog which makes me look bad just because I prefer to wear the first pair of jeans and t-shirt out almost everyday. I present to you: The Sartorialist. If one day, I appear on that blog, I will finally know that:

1. I have chances of becoming a model

2. I am so chic, I reek of Europe

3. I have that flair

4. My life story will be written in italics

I don't know. I just think that in most cases, italics are meant for special things, properness, sarcasm, wonder, spontaneity and those sort of things (especially in this type of font). HAHA. In any case, The Sartorialist is so nice. I like seeing pretty people wearing normal clothes and looking like models. That sort of thing. :P And the best thing is, they don't try so hard. Effortlessly good-looking. :) Well, some of them are a little too eclectic. But most of them are nice.

After All

2010-03-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

After all the effort of seeking out this banner from Jac's blog:

HARIMAU WON SWIMMING GALA!!

Yeap. XD Just wanted to make another record of this before the 2 weeks ahead of me. I have the same skin tone as nian gao (the Chinese New Year glutinous cake). Had a new experience over there at CILC, including my first (and last, thank goodness) swimming event -__-" at the end of the day. But another round of cheering woke me up after that... and of course, the winning. :D One of the banners ruined one of my Harimau shirts. Sheesh. Oh well.

Anticipating: EXAMS. World Maths Day. EXAMS.

Future & Failure

2010-02-17T23:11:00.000-08:00

credits to concrete and honey & the etsy seller of this SUPER COOL card

Matrices. I think of Matrix when I hear or read that word.

I just re-read J.K. Rowling's speech at Harvard. I finally get why my father is so persistent on me considering another career choice. But, I really don't know. Now, at least. Give me 20 years and I might still be stumbling around, but more likely with regret and confusion. Future. Future. Future. Everything and anything is about it. Isn't it? We revel in it in the present and the past, forever. Choosing something out of passion or choosing something out of intrigue? It's always about the choices. Here's that speech if you haven't read it already. Personally, I think it's exceptional and somehow, the message is really true to me. I have gone so far as to download the said recorded speech and add it to my iPod. Yeap. I am nuts. Took you this long to find out that about me? Anyhow, don't let me put you off the speech. Go read or listen or watch it. Whatever suits you.

Optimism. Pessimism. Always playing around with life, those two.

HOMEWORK. I have finally opened my Homework Journal and it ain't pretty. At least the "Mathletics 60 Gold Bars" has been ticked and gone for good.

My Koko is going back TOMORROW! SO SOON. Time flies. Even faster when there is plenty of nagging, quarrels, insults and arguments.

February Already

2010-02-08T04:48:00.000-08:00

Only one more week to Chinese New Year and my mother has finished decorating the house. And she has skills. No wonder, I also like all these type of things. Interior design and home decor is fun and interesting.

Anyhow, this new year has brought more responsibilities and new experiences. What can I say? People get older by getting more work. I feel so unhappy because I have not been able to visit my Ama or Popo properly for the past few weeks. Either it's for a short while or I end up being told to go home to do my homework. My entire family has taken upon them the responsibility of me sleeping in class and are constantly checking up on me, offering choices of rejuvenation, making sure I go to sleep early etc. I should really stop disappointing them. :S

And there's the issue of the FUTURE. My future. :/ Well, thank God for my Koko! Decisions, applications, results, recommendations... I thought I could put them off yet now that I'm older, I have to face them eye to eye. All I can hope for is to do better in the upcoming exams and whatnot in school!

And would you believe it, I went swimming. Freestyle. I shudder. Early morning practices, courtesy of our swimming captain and the Harimau spirit. The first day of practice and I have come back with the flu due to my lousy immunity. Rushed to class this morning and well, I was feeling quite pumped up with the adrenaline. Until... After break. I felt the drowsiness, the bricks on my brain, the eyes which were forced open by caffeine but I was basically an empty shell of nothingness. Then came CHEM... I tried. I really did. Or rather, Audrey who was falling asleep even managed to wake me up quite a number of times. Even so, I got a word from Mr. Sheat after class. Oh well, at least I can deduce that the coffee which tasted like Marmite, in short, is quite useless for Chem. Yet again, I slept during Sejarah and Giuleta was in charge of waking me up. After school practice was not too bad. No more limitless laps and I managed to see quite a few super-fast swimmers. Really put me and my struggling in the water to shame. It was nice to see them zoom past and splatter water into my face though. The Chlorine and I have secured our bond for today. I plan on sleeping at 10.30 p.m. today. We'll see whether that works.

6 Days To Christmas

2009-12-19T03:20:00.000-08:00

With the yuletide spirit in the air, no Scrooge is to be seen among the crowded shopping malls, just mad shoppers. Armed with credit cards and thin, crisp cash, grabbing at shelves of knick-knacks and what-nots. Children snatch balloons from mall Santas, tis' the season of free gifts, if not for the young 'uns. And measly freeloaders watch by, too old to get any, but a free photo among the pretty backdrops - styrofoam, cardboard, plastic, all to be scrutinised by ecologists. Alas, Mother Earth is forgiving, the colourful lights beautify tremendously. After all, what's a little light pollution for this joyous season?

Speak of the hospital germs and my weak immunity, I have been sick since the day after that post. Guess they finally caught up to me after all this time.

Meanwhile, MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

All Summed Up

2009-12-16T06:57:00.000-08:00

This end-of-year holiday has been cut short due to our wonderful government's planning (look at the new ho-hum "10 + 2 = number of SPM subjects"). But this year, I REALLY CANNOT BELIEVE HOW FAST TIME IS FLYING. Like a mad cow, I'd say. That is, if cows can fly.

Hospital. Doctors. I see 'em almost every week. Sad to say, the oncologist area is the worst part of University Hospital. Why?
1. No reception
2. Over-crowded
3. Freezing cold

Thank goodness I have only been there once. That's more than enough. Meanwhile, I have picked up loads of experiences this holiday. I am proud to say that:
1. I can mix Peptamen well
2. I know how to control a feeding-pump
3. I can fetch emergency items (tissue, hot water etc.)

Somehow, I like the Palliative Care doctor. He's the nicest and most genuine and understanding. But I guess that's what they are supposed to do. Even so, thank God for people like him. :D And my Yee Sook. And my Mummy and my Kuche. The list could go on and on.

Putting aside all the medical events in my life so far, I have spent quite a lot of time with Jolene che che as well. Haven't seen her this week yet though.

My father went to Japan last week. I was jealous up to my brain cells when I found out but then I remembered that I was his daughter and he could bring back souvenirs. AHAHA. I have almost all the Kit Kats imaginable now. Right. He bought the Wasabi-flavoured ones instead of Green Tea. NOOOO... -_-" Oh well. I can't wait to open them when my brother comes back! Ha. The given feeling of sharing something with the older sibling. Don't know why.

I HAVEN'T BOUGHT MY SCHOOL BOOKS YET. Doctor's appointment tomorrow in the morning. Wowee. And we just went for one earlier this afternoon. But I don't get sick of it. Pardon the pun. XD

You know when you dislike people who give those pitiful stares and you get all pissed off. Ah. One of the feelings when you are next to cancer. Call me paranoid, but I only feel assured when my grandma's chest moves while she's asleep. :/ Life is all about these small things, I guess.
My hopes and dreams to become a doctor has grown BIGGER.

Jumped Over

2009-11-10T08:16:00.001-08:00

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG.
What is happening in Skip Beat?!? REN. REN. REN. DO SOMETHING!

If manga could give you a heart attack, Chapters 147 and 148 of Skip Beat might just be the probable causes of my heart attack. First, Vie Ghoul's chocolate, Shoutaro's kiss (@#%$^##!@#&@#$ WTH?!?!) and TSURUGA REN!! GO, GO, REN! Sorry, still in fangirl mode. ARGH... Waiting for manga is just TOO PAINFUL. I had goosebumps while reading Skip Beat.

I HAVE I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak! YAY! So happy.

My first time playing Taboo today and it was immensely fun.

"No, Taboo is from America!" was the response to Audrey's "Najib". Answer: Bill Clinton. Aha.

Book Thief

2009-10-25T10:28:00.001-07:00

HAHAHAHAHAHA.

I have The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and I am loving the Death POV.

Gold Sailing Expedition tomorrow but I'm gonna read the book (supplied by Shufei who has an amazing taste in fiction). The sad thing is, you don't have the book. So, sad for you.

Death has never been this interesting. Abstract and wonderful.

"So much good, so much evil, just add water."

Apart from Arashi and Remioromen, I have taken a liking to New York by Paloma Faith and Vanilla Twilight by Owl City. What can I say? Alternative music is fun.

Currently

2009-10-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

YESTERDAY:
Exams are over. Period. I am FREE! But before I rejoice, I would like to record down my daytime-nightmare of the year. Commonly known as "The Maths Paper 2 Exam".

The night before, I had flung my books aside and rejoiced after flicking through my Super Score Maths book. I was thinking of the songs I would download, the shows I would watch, the manga I would read, anime, books etc. Yet this morning, I had a beautiful, scorching slap on my face and in my brains, rather. It really did only hit me that "All Science Teachers Crazy" was just the tip of the starting point, of the DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE MATHS PAPER 2 DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE. How I breezed through the first few pages mentally shielding half of my face from some imaginary fire was a little over the top. At least that was what I thought. YOU COULD GET MENTALLY BURNED WITH THAT PAPER AT THE BOILING POINT OF MERCURY. I have no idea what is the boiling point alright, but it is darn high, that's why it is suitable for thermometers. Putting Physics and Chem aside (which were both also my Science failures alongside beloved ~~failed~~ Bio), I really could not REASON anything in Section B. Really and truly. Even the implication question required logic. -_-" I had been blindly doing the exercises in the Super Score. That was a brief haven compared to this fire in the brain. Indeed. I am a numskull. So sue me. Don't get me started on the entire Section B. "Choose 4 questions" should have been "Don't think you can even complete 2 questions correctly. The other 2 are just for further torture. Have fun. -insert evil laugh-". Then I had to write out a llloooooonnnnnnngggggg list of possible outcomes for the Probability question. Wow. Did I mention I was clueless about the Angle of Elevation/Depression part either for both Section A and B? Height is a matter in my life but I have never felt so inferior to some tower before. Practically 1/2 the paper would be gone with red marks and my brain cells, what's left of them. That Paper 2 killed my appetite. A slick paper cut on the lymphatic node which would disrupt my liver's assimilation process to replace the glucose. I don't know what nonsense I am spurting out right now. Too much hyperbola.

Sailing was quite average today. Was too blur for my own good out there. Did not practice the techniques, just used pure instinct. Cross fingers that I won't capsize in the sea at Lumut. Rachel was somehow like my sailing guardian angel of the day. Without her, it would be me and the Optimist stranded in the middle of the lake. Yeap. I did stay in the same spot for quite a while, with the wind blowing into my face. Beautiful no-go zone.

TODAY:
Sailing was really eventful today. First time sailing in the Laser. First time capsizing. More firsts before Lumut! Priyangkha had to put up with the capsizing part. My sailing therapist. :D Started off with both of us in the Optimist, where I slept in the sun while she controlled the boat really nicely. However, I made us capsize in the Laser. Which was cooling. Yet somehow not so cool. I was a tad bit panicky at first, refusing to let go of the boat. So, yeah. :/ Well, at least we're not in Lumut yet!

Watched House, Heroes and Glee just now. I cannot choose which is the best. THIS WEEK'S EPISODES WERE AMAZING!! XD Oh, they killed off Nathan (or rather just replaced him with SYLAR!). AHAHAHA. It's kind of a joke that I used to like him in a way. New Sylar is interesting. Matt Parkman should just go away and everything would be less Heroes-style-complicated, the irritating type. HOUSE WAS AWESOME as per usual. The ending put a smile on my face. How very cheesy (me, that is). :P Glee >> Emma and Will!! And for a sec, I nearly died watching Sue dance with Will. Really surreal. Pardon the pun. Song selection wasn't my favourite this week. Though "Sweet Caroline" did showcase Puck's voice. A change from Finn's usual solos. Not bad.

Pets

2009-10-18T00:53:00.000-07:00

I have finished watching Kimi wa Petto the J-Drama! XD MATSUMOTO JUN!! Ahahaha. 4 days holiday = Giving in to temptations and a bout of flu. Rewind back to Thursday, I came back with a sore throat and had fever at night. I even have to wear a mask to visit Popo. The oncology ward is somehow divided into 3 areas. The one on the far left is the 'terminal' area. :S Thank goodness, my grandma isn't there. But she is just getting a nutrient drip which is basically, enriched milk, to supply her with food while her stomach is cleansed out and hopefully, the blockage near her colon area as well. Before that, I was a little worried, to add on to exams and stuff. But looking at it in a brighter light, I have to say it's quite fun in a way, going to the hospital. In the car, we speak to my grandfather and for the past few days, it's always him and us, going to visit my grandma. I have been seeing quite some Bio-related things, which always makes me a little hyped up. Bile is really green. I can even brag to my mother and tell her what's it for. AHAHAHA! -_-" I just remembered that I gave her the wrong info. Mixed it up with pancreatic juice. Sheesh. My moment of Bio-glory is ruined.

Speaking of pets, I walked to the market square behind my house with one of my dogs, Oscar and my mother yesterday. It seems that EVERYONE was staring at him. Some woman even had the nerve to say that my dog was "dirty-looking" in Chinese. Sadly for her, I UNDERSTAND MANDARIN, woman. Besides, before that he had been jumping around in some wet grass and leaves for fun. Typical dog move. -_-" He's a nice nut all right, so cut him some slack.

Today, I smelled and saw freshly-curdled milk for the first time. BLERGH. It smells like some really blunking terrible cheese which has been thrown in the rubbish bin for fermentation. Looks like a really white pudding (we had heated up the milk to add to our tea). SHEESH. Ew. Can't believe I was the innocent taste-tester for the rotten milk (from the carton, pre-rotten-heated-pudding stage). And for clarification, the milk expires on 29/10/2009. So, we returned both the cartons to 7-11. The cashier returned the money to my mother, somewhat reluctantly, but yeah. My mother does get her way and besides, she has her consumer's rights. Menjaga hak pengguna. Yeap, Moral is next week. One of the few exams to go before the END OF FINALS. Can't wait.

I wanna watch Bambino! It has Matsujun + Italian food. XD I. Might. Just. Die.

It's like No Reservations, JAPANESE-ified. XD

Edit:
I have found some kind of Sharpie Haven. WHY ARE THERE NO RETRACTABLE SHARPIES IN MALAYSIA?!

2 Weeks' Leave

2009-10-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

I have finally put a hiatus to my TV shows downloading schedule. After breaking that last list of false-promises, I have watched my last TV show for the next 2 and a half weeks. Every week ends with The Vampire Diaries. Begins with House. With Glee in between. Heroes is thrown into the bunch.

So, I am leaving House to get back to diagnostic medicine, Damon to get out of that Vervain chamber and Rachel Berry back in Glee Club. I can already feel the detachment. :(

I dreamt of House, which was really cool until I got kicked out it when I woke up. AND JUST WHEN IT WAS GETTING TO THE NICE SUDDEN-MEDICAL-GENIUS PART! It even had the usual Cuddy-House drama. How did my mind conjure that up? How it ended was like being cut off from Astro. That stinks. On the other hand, at least I had the dream!! :D

I hope I do not break this one. Really. And no more MacBook (for leisure purposes, not even updating my iPod so I am loading it up to the maximum now). After Finals, I am gonna get more Project Runway episodes and finally buy my SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS SEASON 5 DVD! Yay! :D One more item to add to My List of Post-Final Things to Look Forward to.

Lying To Myself

2009-09-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

That plan really did not work out. I ended up watching House AND The Vampire Diaries. Okay... Don't go "OMG! YOU ACTUALLY WATCH THAT SHOW?!?". I just feel well, intrigued. Ahaha. No Edward Cullen, but there are two vampires. One is a typical good-guy (Stefan) while his older brother is the troublemaker (Damon). Apparently, being a vampire still comes along with perks of immortality, super speed and self-healing. Damon is somewhat perverted and goes around town feeding and attacking humans whereas gentle Stefan protects dear Elena (the girl who resembles a women they BOTH loved) from ~~Damon~~ harm and writes in his diary evryday. BUT THE ENDING OF EPISODE 3! Well, at least I know why I'm rooting for Damon. I'd like to think that he's not that bad actually. Yes, I am bashing the good guy. Stefan is too blah or maybe it's his constantly stoned face. Basically, it is almost like a more scandalous Twlight. Not yet near the True Blood level though, I can tell you. That's one show I couldn't click with and I don't really like Southern accents. BLEH. However, I admit that the Tru Blood drink is kinda cool though. :D And they really do sell it in US. I like how they classify it by blood-type.

The Vampire Diaries is showing on CBS in US. CBS shows Gossip Girl and 90210, I think. Mostly series aimed for teens. So, you get the picture.

I AM LOVING HOUSE!! I just cannot understand how Hugh Laurie pulls off all that amazing acting! :) A doctor going for psych therapy. Also got an insight of a psychiatric hospital. The US ones seem quite interesting. Downloading my Monday shows now. ^^

I'll be watching the KUROSAGI movie in a while. :D Thanks, Alexis! Shufei, YAMAPI is hot and he's a good actor and the show is cool. XD

Wonder

2009-09-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

Things to look forward to:
1. Studying Bio
2. Doing old Physics homework
3. Watching my last fall TV show before Finals - HOUSE DOUBLE-EPISODE XD XD FINALLY finished downloading it!
4. Staring at Mr. Sheat's List of Memorisation Items (I think I can only tick off one item -_-")
5. Taking after-school/supposed-to-be-studying naps :D
6. Sleeping before 12AM
7. No more Accounts tuition
8. Watching my last J-drama before Finals - KUROSAGI movie which means YAMAPI!!
9. Making a list of post-Finals TV shows + J-dramas for motivation

Setting In

2009-09-25T06:59:00.001-07:00

Started off today with some food, then off to KLIA to send off my brother.

One thing I have learned: allowing a long slab of cement scrape the bottom of your car makes you feel irritated and leaves you with a new type of anger. To make things worse, even when you want to get your car off it, you still have to endure the screeching and just imagine the bottom of the car SCRAPED and SCRATCHED. Proves that our government just loves to fool around with parking lots. In KLIA! Advice: Do not park on level 3 of block C. We usually park on level 2, but it was full. Just our luck.

Spotted many interesting things today at the airport. Sent my brother off. He'll be arriving around 1AM KL time. The house feels quieter (again). On the other hand, I AM FREE TO JUMP ON HIS NEW BED ALL I WANT! Not that I want to spoil it. :P

Went to Giuleta's for Add Maths tuition. Seeing her Bio books made me feel study-guilt. Played ~~fake~~ Blockus with Giuleta and Adam. Interesting. The game and the siblings' teamwork. :D Saw ketupat-weaving (something I must learn somehow!) and ate lots of yummy cookies at Giuleta's place. Thanks for the hospitality and all the cookies. :) SELAMAT HARI RAYA (belated)!

Some things are making me feel... I don't know how to explain it, really. Sad, worried, maybe I don't want to admit it. It makes me stop and think. Then I feel really down. It can really pull you down to the bottom of the ocean. It appears then it goes away for a while, then back again. Was it the voice which made me feel uneasy and worried? Sympathy? Empathy? In the end, what you need to face reality... I still don't know what it is. I feel like asking for some miracle cure. No such thing. Yet.

Gindara Teriyaki

2009-09-22T04:20:00.000-07:00

I have a problem with my mind. Too many thoughts on Japan, I tell you. Japanese drama, Japanese songs, Japanese anime, Japanese manga, Japanese food, Japanese dudes (YAMAPI! KAME! XD XD NISHIKADO RYO! MANABE RYOUJI! ZERO!), Japanese life, Japanese culture etc.

SO FAR, I HAVE HAD 2 DREAMS OF VISITING JAPAN.
One was with Audrey and one was with my family. In reality though, Audrey wouldn't lend me that much money though.

That's how severe it is. I am going back to drown myself in 6 more episodes of Kurosagi. YAMAPI! Tomohisa Yamashita!! Too cool to be true. Once again, I am blaming Loo Jac Lyn, Alexis Lee Yue Xiu, Giuleta Cheryl Sherena and Audrey Lim Mei Yen. ALL OF YOU HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH ALL THIS J-DRAMA HYPE! Shufei, I blame you for reigniting my interest in ~~icons~~ manga. My plan is to not watch Hana Kimi until after finals. Fall TV Season! XD

I am really glad with my Kurosagi wallpaper. It has Yamapi in art-form. :D And Kurosagi is cool. Nobuta wo Produce had KAME & YAMAPI!! XD Shuuji and Akira! My first J-Drama, 1 Litre no Namida literally made me cry 1 litre of tears. Attention Please was not too bad and Nishikado Ryo as an engineer!! XD

Yamapi. Bang~ Kon~ I will watch Proposal Daisakusen. More Yamapi!

Speaking of Japan. Random snippet here:
Me: I wanna visit Japan someday.
Brother: Yeah. (continues driving)
Me: I wanna go to TOKYO!
Brother: I'll go to Koyto...
Me: You mean Kyoto!
Brother: Osaka, Hokkaido, Gindara, Teriyaki...
Me: Eh... WHAT GINDARA TERIYAKI?! So dumb.
Brother: Yeah...! You got tricked!
Me: NO.
Brother: So, do you know what is Gindara?
Me: Grilled.
Brother: Cod fish, you idiot.

Folded

2009-09-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's sailing practice was not as intense as the past practices. This week's crew on the 420 (again) was Audrey, Priyangkha and I. Coincidentally, all 3 of us were wearing the red Platinum shirt. How random. Anyhow, the new stuff we did was bringing out 2 new 420s from the storage along with a handful of people. Yep. We had to turn it sideways and balance it on the trolley while pushing it AND maneuver it so that the mast (highest tip of the main sail) would not crash into the lights, pipes and that irritating ~~architecture error~~ arc (it's shorter than the boat). For the record, I was also shorter than the boat. AUDREY was also struggling. AHA! For sailing this time round, I was in charge of the jib sail, the centre board and some very minor balancing and scooping water out of the boat. We were using the old 420 performance boat but it served us well. We actually did try sailing the proper way this week, running, beating and reaching. Audrey was on tiller duty (the best job) and Priyangkha was controlling the main sail. On the plus side, I did not have to change my seating position unlike the two of them. It was fun though. :D We even went close to the passing ferry. This week was almost disaster-free unlike last week's sailing-in-circles (Priyangkha screamed more). We also rigged up the boat pretty fast and unrigged it much easier. No sailing for the next two weeks and after Raya, it's the sailing quiz.

Saturday went by like lightning. Time is scarce and scary but I like to idle by and watch it pass anyhow. Origami. I haven't been up to much paper-folding. But these clothes are just a dream worth being folded. A few of my favourite Origami-esque fashion finds. My eyes are burning already.

Leanne Marshall Fall 2009

Origami scarf by Reiko Sudo and Mizue Okada (specially pressed permanently for the Origami effect)

Gianfranco Ferré Spring 2009 as worn by Anne Hathaway

Gianfranco Ferré Spring 2009 (Milan)

Gianfranco Ferré Fall 2009

John Galliano for Dior 2007 (JAPAN + ORIGAMI STYLE = LOVE XD)

No, I am not a stylish person. Jeans and t-shirts FTW. But I do like admiring by the sidelines. Very much. XD John Galliano for Christian Dior (Spring 2007), Gianfranco Ferré and Leanne Marshall. There! All links abound. :) Now, GO SEE! XD

Older

2009-09-07T04:18:00.000-07:00

Whee... So today's my birthday and in typical fashion, I am supposed to have a ball, smile and drive off in a brand new convertible as all of them girls do in MTV's My Super Sweet Sixteen. Nope. Instead, I shall gloat on my pre-birthday experiences which I really count as amazing presents, some not really, but most of them were really great. :)

Saturday's sailing practice was AMAZING!! My first practise last week was in the 420 with Eythan and a helper called Barney and then later, alone in an Optimist (it makes you feel the contrary at first). This week, Audrey, Priyangkha, Jing Ran and I were on board the 420. I was in charge of the tiller, steering the sailboat and basically, I had the power to make us all capsize. :D There was wind and it was all screams, moving about and really, sailing. Jing Ran was in charge of the jib and balancing out the boat while Audrey and Priyangkha were in charge of the main sail. All of them contributed heavily to the navigation while I, steered us in one too many circles. I could say it was the wind, but getting hit by the boom, having my butt touching the water, laughing at capsized people, seeing Alexis in the Optimist (capsized as well XD), getting directions and steering us in the wrong direction for the umpteenth time, it was a great experience. So far, it was the best practice. :D

Then came Sunday. A bright sunny day on which I decided to go to Zara with my aunty. -_-" Who knew that along with a great bargain, you get something else as well. I guess it might be only me. But, I was pick pocketed when I was bringing clothes to the changing rooms. I felt a tug on my sling bag a few times and seeing that it was some Malay dude carrying clothes, I just thought that it had been caught in the clothes' hangers. Later at the cashier counter, I found my bag open and my phone was gone. Thank goodness, my wallet was still there and I didn't bring out anything else which was valuable. Anyhow, it was still an %$*^$%&*&^@£*$*%$ experience which made me blunking pissed off. The manager did her 'best' (Malaysian security makes me roll my eyes with scrutiny) but what could she do? Blah blah. Quote: "They are very professional nowadays". To add insult to injury, the Maxis hotline woman I called wouldn't let me cancel my SIM card. $£%$^%^*@£!@£%$£%$!! She insisted on calling my mummy who didn't pick up her phone and seriously, I didn't want some thief/nut/useless punk using my phone for God-knows-what. But my mummy and aunty sorted everything out and my parents and brother and all were understanding.

I had dinner with my family last night (just like every year) and it made me considerably much happier. :D HELENA managed to come this year!

Today, I went out with Audrey and Tiara cos Giuleta couldn't make it. We were supposed to meet at MPH but due to certain complications, it became a little complicated. -_-" But they finally found me and well, it turned out pretty well. After lunch at Nando's, we went to watch UP! My second time. :D But I still love Dug and his special talking collar. Later on, we had ice-cream and I found out that all my SIM contacts were gone along with my stolen SIM card. ^%$^@$£@$*!$!@£&$£* :S Apart from being grumpy, I was well, irritated. Sorry to Audrey and Tiara for being a dark cloud on my own birthday! I still had a great time and many thanks for the day! :) AUDREY LIM, I am using the cup now. As much as I'd hate to admit it, it is a useful cup and quite cute in a way, I will not vandalise it like what you did to your cup with a permanent marker. HAHA! Thank you for all the cups you have given me. According to you, I am apparently a 'top fella' and a 'princess'. HAHA.

The Nerve

2009-08-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, I went out for dinner with my family at a nearby Chinese restaurant (an open-aired shop lot without air-conditioning).

Basically, we just sat down next to a table consisting of: an Eastern European guy and his daughter + an Indian woman and her daughter. The European dude suddenly complains to the restaurant owner's daughter on how much they've over-charged him for the fish (RM35). He makes a big fuss about it and after a while, he even walks over to the restaurant owner to complain even more.

Dude comes back disgruntled, so his "date" (the Indian woman -_-" more details later) walks over to the Chinese restaurant owner and shouts at her: "KAMI SUDAH DATANG 15 TAHUN! YOU JANGAN MACAM ITU AH! KAMU INGAT KAMI APA?!" It was quite a scene actually, with all that uproar. -_-""

Later on, the restaurant owner (a nice lady who doesn't cheat people) came over to explain. Interesting facts:
1. The total amount on their bill was RM140 (roughly around that, definitely less than RM150)
2. They ordered 6 dishes + 1 takeaway + 1 large bottle of beer. You do the math.
3. The Indian woman specially requested for a seawater, swimming fish. (Geez, picky much)
4. The European dude is actually a divorcee and he brought his daughter. She's a blonde-haired teen who actually had the nerve to say: "Oh, we could have gone to Chilli's!" HELLO, GIRLIE, WAKE UP! If you order 4 main courses and drinks, you would have easily spent more than RM150. Not to mention, tax and service charge. -_-"
5. The Indian woman is also a divorcee and she brought her daughter along. She used to come to the restaurant with her ex-husband.
6. The divorcees are dating. -___________-""""

Anyhow, I don't want to sound like a snob but... IF YOU CAN'T PAY JUST GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. Well, my whole family were rolling our eyes. :D And if they wanted to eat cheaper fare, they could have gone to some hawker stall which is more budget-friendly (no offense, I have nothing at all against hawker stalls, I LOVE THEM!). This proves that the world has many kinds of people. Super cheap ones. People who are cheaper than me and have not heard of budget-planning. Geez. Sheesh.

I mean, seriously! With the beer and all that food (7 dishes!), all for 4 people, HELLO! Blunking stupid fellow. As for his date's behavior, WHAT?!? Personally, I think they crossed the line. Darn right they did. That woman was downright irritating. Some people, the nerve they have. Sheesh.

Manga Makes Me Happy

2009-08-23T07:09:00.000-07:00

Just came back from Port Dickson. The best thing there was... the pool. Minus that old woman in her faded pink dress (WHAT?! -_-"). Only found out about said old lady when I left the pool. She even had her grey hair tied in two bunches. No offense. I have nothing against the elderly, but she would be one you would indefinitely scowl at or at least, raise an eyebrow at. Too much, I tell you. YOU JUST CANNOT ENTER THE POOL WITH YOUR DRESS ON, GEDDIT?! It's unhygienic. Sheesh. Oh well.

Thanks to Alexis Lee Yue Xiu, I have been reading so much manga. But my favourite is SHUUKATSU!

I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE MANABE RYOUJI!

T_T I am currently awaiting the next chapter of Hapi Mari, my other love. :D Aerandria Scans is the best. Really and truly. Josei + Shoujo haven, I tell you. I also read the latest chapter of Vampire Knight. Boy, is it draggy. I am only reading it for some really nice full-page (or maybe even, double-page) drawing of Zero. Sigh. I might be a little pessimistic, but I think Matsuri Hino is getting lazier at drawing Zero in his true glory. Geez. One chapter a month, it is really getting on my nerves. All this waiting!

Something random here. Why do we pronounce "treadmill" as "treadmeal". Aha.

Manhwa

2009-08-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

THEY, TOO, LOVE.

It is random, fun to read, sarcastic, crazy and well, an interesting storyline about student life in Korea. Nope, my interests still lie within the North, where life is like an army, literally, and full of secrets. Yet this Manhwa was (surprisingly) not that cliche and I would definitely recommend reading. You can get it on Manga Traders as well, which is by far, the best place to download manga. Seriously.

Did I mention that the series is COMPLETE? :D Yeap. So, there is no need to wait for updates. Please excuse the art for the first few chapters, they might look a little weird but later on, the drawings really do get better. The entire series consists of many short stories. :) GO READ! By the way, it is read from right to left, unlike Manga. I have to get back to my Skip Beat soon! REN!

Ui Moon is almost like a Korean Kyouya. XD No one can replace the Shadow King though. :D

Cliche

2009-08-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

That one word. Makes all the difference of noticing that something is not different, not so unique and maybe even, bland. Reading happy books (e.g. cheesy rom-coms, teen fiction, Sarah Dessen etc.) really give me some sort of "YES! They get together in the end" kind of feeling and there are the funny bits, but after a while, you think about it. What. A. Cliche. Well, at least the joy lasted for its purpose.

For example, your first time reading the Twilight saga (mine, at least). Initially, my imaginary Edward Cullen was THE BEST GUY EVER. I rooted for me Bella and him like any other girl. Then out came the movie to spoil everything. Then came the cliche ending where Bella was the key-player-who-overpowers-everyone in the battle. Naturally, no one on the good guy's side got hurt. Surprise, surprise. Fine. IT WAS ROBERT PATTINSON, I tell you! (My not-so-sincere apologies to RPatz fans) HE TOOK AWAY MY IMAGINARY EDWARD! NOOO... I think I need to borrow Audrey or Giuleta's books to re-imagine MY Edward Cullen. Or just leave it as it is. Fact: I do not own any books in the Twilight saga.
UNBELIEVABLE, no? However, I have The Host which is so darn cool. :D RPatz, I don't really think you're that great with that hair which insults my imaginary Edward's hair. Hah! Take that for some serious Twilight-the-movie bashing.

And so, I am going to read a cliche manhwa (Korean comics, basically manga from Korea) called They, Too, Love. What a cliche name. -_-" Oh well. At least it makes me happy, if not for a while. :)

Noticing

2009-08-12T10:18:00.001-07:00

Google Doodles are cool and informative. By clicking on the meteor shower logo, I found out that I missed the Perseid meteor shower. WHY?! Sometimes, you just miss the nicest things which are not on a computer screen. Sigh. Then again, we have haze, light pollution and apparently, if the moon is out, it could block the view of the meteor shower. Therefore, we missed it. Well, I did, at least. It happens annually in August and for the past 15 and almost 8 months of my life, I have been missing out on this wish-upon-a-meteor event (hope that one of them meteors won't fall on YOU). So don't feel left out, you can see them next year.

Trailing Above North Cascades National Park in a Meteor Shower
Originally uploaded by Fort Photo

If it makes you feel any better, you don't get to see the Perseid meteor shower like that (above photo) because we are in MALAYSIA. Whoopdedoo! At least we don't have tornadoes and earthquakes. :)

Web Finds

2009-08-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

Found a lot of neat stuff on the web just recently. I feel like buying a long cardigan. Perhaps it's due to my too small beige hand-me-down from my mum which seems to shrink each time it gets washed. -_-" I don't mind hand-me-downs but this time, I hope to buy a cardigan which is ~~cheap~~ well-priced. As always. :D

Polyvore is fun! Go try it out. You get to put pieces of images and fonts together to form a set of items (outfits, interior design, people, whatever you want).

Glee

2009-08-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

Whoopdedoo. Now, if you haven't heard of Glee, kindly Google it. If you haven't already, watch the promo below:

It's still a little early in the running, but I'm a FAN. :D

I hit two milestones this week.
1. I didn't fall asleep during Chem extra class on Friday.
2. I went for my primary school class reunion after not having seen 99% of them for 4 years.

Mr. Sheat himself was in disbelief when he saw me all attentive and not nodding off. So there, nothing is impossible. We had free lunch on Friday and this year's probates did their first spot-check. Giuleta had already confiscated someone's Eclipse mints earlier on in the day -_-" so I had a feeling that they would get to it pretty soon. On Thursday, I went to sleep at 10.30PM, that must have been the trick. Yet, here I am, typing away.

Primary school reunion was awkward at first, recognising faces and trying to remember that name on the tip of your tongue. 4 years sure passed by really soon! But, after a while, the tension gave way and we could talk and stuff. :D Quite interesting to recall nicknames and all that nostalgia. Next year will be my last year at Cempaka. Last year of expeditions, if I can go for anymore :'-) PLATINUM. Last year of floating classes. Last year of the 'free lunch', if we do get it. Hey! It was fun to drink Ice Lemon Green Tea for free. :) How cheap of me. As usual.

I had a glimpse of Hugh Laurie on Street Kings just now. And he was in a hospital! But not as House, of course. Still, I found that part cool. :D HOUSE! I need to catch up on that series!

Sleeping Soon

2009-08-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

I just did this Sleep quiz and instead of scoring a perfect 100%, I got some failing mark. :'-(

It sounds like your sleep is poorly optimised, scoring 36 %...

...even though you said you do not have a problem with sleep. Your personalised advice below should help you improve your score and prevent tiredness affecting so much of your life.

NO...... NO..... NOOOOOOOOOOO...

I don't know whether to feel super traumatised now. :( How upsetting. Really and truly. And the site recommends caffeine! I don't get any kicks from caffeine. :( Nescafe is not my miracle. Hmm... Must have been that part where I answered "moderate chance of sleeping" for "would you fall asleep when you have stopped in traffic (in driver's seat)"... I have yet to driven any vehicles. But if that would happen in real life, I must be a short-lived person. :(

This advice is something I would definitely take to heart and mind,

How to boost your alertness

You seem to be quite tired during the day.
One way of treating the symptom is to nap in the afternoon. The body is designed this way - most of us have a natural dip in alertness at roughly 2-4pm.
A 15 minute nap when you're tired can be a very effective way of staying alert throughout the day. But sleep longer than 20 minutes and you'll enter the stage called Slow Wave Sleep (or 'deep' sleep), and you'll feel very groggy when you wake.

HOW VERY TRUE! :D Especially that part where I sleep more than 20 minutes! So, I guess I'm not the only one who feels that way. Hmm... COOL! Thanks to Limmy Yen for the Sleep Profiler thingamajig. And so, let me spread the word of SLEEP around:

EVERYONE WANTS/NEEDS A PERSONALISED SLEEP PROFILE

By the way, this banner was made for ME. In some way or another. :D I get my 'sleep' in class, don't I?

With My Eyes

2009-08-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Speaking of eyes, on Thursday morning I couldn't find my spectacles so I had to use up a pair of my dailies. A bad side to contacts, you cannot sleep in class. Not that it's not possible, but more to you not being able to get away with it. This is due to the eyes' moving forwards and backwards during REM (random eye movement) sleep. Therefore, I think my eyes were rolling inwards and Mr. Sheat caught me during those amazing moments. So, contacts and I are not meant to be (for sleeping in class, at least). Sadly.

Prize-giving was not too bad, considering the time it took to rehearse the one-day event. Audrey Lim Ah Yen, hair-and-hair-clip-extraordinaire, took the liberty of revamping my dull bobby-pins by covering them with gold ribbon. After the PMR awards (whereby you get a handshake and an empty tube), I got my Grand Slam collar pin. *grins* :D MY FIRST COLLAR PIN, would you believe it? HARIMAU. Next year, I declare.

Before I forget,
These YSL shoes are the reason I feel like being some kind of shoe architect. From one point of view, it feels so amazingly abstract, the structure really intriguing and the simple details which make it special. Fact is, I would never in a million years fork out 799 USD for shoes, I cannot wear them well and I cannot walk properly in them (I would look like a duck). So, I have made them my eye candy. Nice to look at, great to dream of, but other than that, we weren't meant to be. :D I like the idea of appearing taller though. Fashion is merely for the eyes, I say. Comfort is first priority. That's why I'll never make it in that sector. :) They are definitely cool though.

I cannot believe I overshadowed my Platinum post. With shoes. Worlds apart.

Sheer Platinum

2009-08-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

July is over!

Somehow, I have became tanner due to Platinum and also because of the melanin under my skin. In a nutshell, Platinum Expedition 2009 began EARLY in the morning when merely 4 hours before, Audrey and I had watched the last FAME show (best Production so far, I'd say. HEARD THAT, GIULETA?). :) Day 1 was basically creating flags, group intro, playing some games and our 1st tribal meeting.

Day 2 was off to Monkey Beach. Lugging bamboo poles and coconut leaves all the way to the other end of the beach to build a bivouac (I CAN SPELL IT NOW!). I really miss our group's bivouac and its escape door. I KILLED CATFISH (with help of Edward who caught those 3 slimy, slithering gits). I learned how to start a fire and look for sticks, rocks, tinder etc. Fear factor at night. Ate raw petai with the skin on, a whole red onion, two cloves of garlic (it BURNS), goat's liver (not too bad), tongkat ali with jellyfish and raw duck eggs. Yum. Then I puked it all out together with my Curry Maggi Mee (only enjoyed meal of the day).

Day 3 was all about Homestay. I was the 'Leader'. We plucked rambutans! But thanks to my team who were amazing enough to pull off the silat and tarian zapin. Meanwhile, I got to become a Malay bride. Interesting stuff. Not really, if you have the need to pee throughout the entire event. Go figure. And the tourist just had to aim right at my eyes for the rice-throwing part.

Day 4 was Ironman Challenge. We came up with a new cheer and I kayaked for the first time in my life. I also felt seasick on a kayak for the very first time. Whoopdedoo. But Cherng Woei and I made it to the shore so YEAH! :D Not too bad, eh? After tower and raft-building, we peeled coconuts and tried our hands at slingshot. Sounds cool, right? Wait till you have to knock them all down. (I had nothing to contribute there, just picking up a few marbles) Ate ikan belut and separated beans. A little bit of orienteering, swimming, digging in the sand and finally, back crawling on the sand. Night fishing was actually fun! A big fish bit off my hook and I used double-bait. :D Jacqueline was the luckiest and Audrey D was basically giving out free fish food. Nice day albeit tiring.

Day 5 was off to Pulau Payar for diving/snorkelling. Diving was uneventful though we had a great time feeding fish. :) We built the Penang Bridge out of straws, endured Fear Factor 2 where we had to unlock padlocks underwater (luckily I could unlock mine at first try) and transfer maggots with our mouths. Bleh. I really felt disgusted when the blunking creatures tried to move up my left nostril. Sheesh. Echo won that night. Audrey was really fearless. HAHA. Limmy Yen! She's one of the best alarm clocks in the world. :D

The last day was basically the Amazing Race. We painted batik, cooked, flied a kite, kissed frogs, balanced giant millipedes on our necks and polished turtle shells. It was all good fun. Everyone had to try out a traditional Penang dance while bobbling our heads side to side at the same time. At the Chowrasa Market, we sold jeruk (pickles) to the public. Then it was off to Fort Cornwallis (where I lost :( my special pen) to look for the mail box. Almost all the teams found each other's boxes instead of their own. Boom found Charlie's at first. Echo found ours. After that, we had to ride trishaws. Thank goodness, my partner was Jacqueline (who we had to carry across the beach during Ironman) and she's light. ~~If only I could say so for myself.~~ Nevermind that. We had to eat a giant plate of Pasembur for our last challenge. Not to mention the ice kacang (but that was the least of our problems). It was the WORST challenge. You know the feeling where your stomach has exceeded the limit and you cannot do anything to make it go away? That basically was it. We also had to finish the blunking sauce. And I am not a fan of gravy. Bleh. :S

Left for the airport after our final Tribal Meeting. Charlie won. Bravo got 2nd! Followed by Alpha, Echo and Delta. And that's the end to Platinum Expedition 2009. :'-) Best. Expedition. Ever.

Almost There, Yet Not Really

2009-07-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

Highlight of today was watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! Yes. My mother and I chase the latest movies like bees going after honey. :) What can I say? We have skills in buying movie tickets and watching a few in a row. Today though, it was one movie. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Seems like it has been an eternity since Order of the Phoenix and when Sirius died. :'-( Yeah, I have liked him in the books and the movies since Prisoner of Azkaban (my fave). But the heart seems to grow fonder with absence, without anymore books in the line, Harry Potter having his happily ever after, I must have felt that surge of attachment to HP during the movie. How much I have missed the trio and their beloved Hogwarts... Now that I think about it, WHAT IN THE BLUNKING IS TWILIGHT? Ugh. Haha. My first major Twilight-bashing :) You vamps are so... passe now, it seems. With True Blood and a million other books following in their footsteps. Bleh. Bland, actually. Now, HARRY POTTER. That's pure genius. Hogwarts!? Take that, Forks High School! Wands and magic spells sure beat stone cold looks and table-grabbing stunts. HAH!

Anyhow, on with the movie. The actors were not half bad. Sequence was a little rushed, but overall I would give it a thumbs-up, I guess. Beginning was not too interesting, actually. Harry Potter and his magical newspaper attracts muggle waitresses! Oh... Insults himself too! Smooth move. :S The middle was slightly overrun with Draco's appearances. They could have improved Voldermort's memories (though it was done quite nicely) and lots of lost pieces along the way. Though, it was not half bad. BETTER THAN TRANSFORMERS. Wow. I just bashed another movie/franchise. :) I sure miss the boy wizard and his adventures. 8.5 out of 10. Lemme read the book and this rating might just go down, as usual. If you haven't read the book already, Dumbledore dies. And I teared up a little as with the book. It just kind of hits you when someone so amazing... dies. Missed him in the books, same with the movie. Sigh.

Today, I also learned that you can drift apart from people. How you don't share with each other like you used to. Learning that personalities do change, yet some stay the same. The bond is still there but slowly with time, it fades away. Secrets remain hidden and the people to share them with are different. Childish, refusing to grow up, well... Some people just stay that way, I guess. :) I may have changed in some ways and we are not as close as we used to be. But some things change for a reason, and this I would have never predicted before. A little disappointed maybe, but... Life goes on. Indeed. :) Eesh. YOU ARE STILL MY COUZ AND THAT'S THAT! :D Ahaha. We should spend time more often and get back to that level of pal-ship! Pfft... Enough of my touchy-feely blabber. XD

On My Back

2009-07-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

Recently, I have been having quite a backache.

Last Friday:
- detected a slight discomfort at bottom of left arm and disregarded it for an invisible scratch

Saturday:
Interact visit to SPCA! Genius me woke up late, made my mother drive after the school bus, got pooped on the back by a pigeon (I'D GUN THEM DOWN IF I COULD! No sympathy here.) and to top it all off, I had some chicken neck meat caught in my hair while we squatted down to peel the meat off for the dogs. I think that continuous squatting caused this backache.

Went for dinner at a hawker stall with my mother, aunt and Ama. A yummy meal. Followed by ANOTHER meal with my cousins. Ah... The joys of getting free food because you're the youngest. We ate at Spice Garden, mostly northern Indian cuisine. All was not too bad, though the creamy tomato chicken and pureed spinach were not that exciting. The Naan bread and the Super Spicy Chicken (not spicy actually :P) would be my favourites of the meal. Went to Pavillion's Espressamente Illy after that. :( Not as enjoyable as the BV outlet. Jolene che che and I walked back to meet my mother while discussing MJ. We were sorta in the mood of mourning.

Sunday:
DINNER WAS THE BEST PART OF THE DAY!
Food reviews aren't my kind of thing but this place had amazing Italian food. Since my family got disappointed by the standard of Modesto's Italian cuisine (both the Hartamas and KL outlets), we decided to try out Vincenzo at OneBangsar for a change and it was like a breathe of classic Italian air. First plus was the nice Mushroom soup served in a bread bowl. I HAVE BEEN YEARNING FOR THIS SINCE ITALIAN TOMATO CLOSED DOWN! T_T I wonder if anyone remembers the restaurant Italian Tomato in 1U's old wing where Pizza Hut is now located... I am also a soup fanatic. :D All in all, most of the dishes were palate pleasers. Their portions were also more generous than what I had expected. Their Foccacia bread was to die for (especially when it was toasted). For the pizza, I would have preferred La Risata's pizza crust. My rib-eye was not half bad, though I now think I had been carried away by the truffle sauce mentioned in the menu. My brother's lobster pasta and my mother's escargot were really enjoyable as well. My brother had their signature Vincenzo's Chocolate Malt for dessert while I tried their Creme Brulee. His was much better compared to my dessert, the texture was a light chocolate coating filled with warm melted chocolate within, complemented by a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. A great dessert which you should never miss. A great place over all. :D

Rock Bottom

2009-06-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

Just came back from CAS Silver Diving Expedition to Pulau Redang! XD It was an eye-opening experience which I will never forget. All of us finally have a PADI diver's license! The 3-day course during the holidays was definitely worth it.

Woke up at 3.15AM on Sunday with help of my mother and brother. Would you believe I went to bed around 1.30AM? So basically, I was taking a nap. -_-" Was the earliest to arrive (now I know how Audrey feels, except that the school is super dark and IT IS 4AM). Left for LCCT about an hour later, I was exceptionally hyped up in the bus. After a short flight and a boat ride (in which Flightplan was shown :D), we were welcomed by the clear waters. We stayed at Redang Beach Resort.

looks are deceiving

Toilet was not too great and all, but I want to skip that. Fine, white sand and HAMMOCKS! Too good to be true. After some swimming by the beach, we practised reassembling the diving equipment and then it was off to Open Water Training Dive 1 on the other side of the beach. It was all cool with my Dive Buddy, Giuleta.

My Dive Tip: Equalise often while descending, or not your eardrums will endure wondrous bouts of pain.

:D Mask clearing was quite the challenge at first cos of my contacts, but I got used to it very soon. Was quite deep! At the shore itself, there were already so much pretty marine life. :D Theory was at night and I slept super early.

Day 2 was the real deal. Firstly, we learned how to navigate using a compass. Later, we went for our first boat dive, Open Water Training Dive 2. Went back to yesterday's spot, but deeper. Mostly practice, I finally saw fishes instead of clearing my mask every 10 seconds. After lunch, it was another boat dive to Paku Kecil. Serious diving in the open sea, this time. 12 METRES! I didn't see as much as the others due to compulsive mask-clearing. :( No Nemo but I saw many Dory(s) though. Our very last Training Dive was around 5.30PM. It was off to the Southern Tip.

Open Water Training Dive 4

I saw more cool stuff! A pair of orange butterfly fish, Nemo(s) in anemones, Gill from Finding Nemo (known as the Moorish Idol/Crowned Scythe), a clown-like fish which was completely white other than a red patch and some other 'make-up'-like features, black and white spider-like creatures on long corals, large schools of fishes and many more corals and fishes. However, I didn't see the blue-spotted stingray, crown of thorns starfish (I missed it due to mask-clearing) and any sharks whatsoever (Juanita and Giuleta lucked out on the shark). :( Oh right! We managed to spot a turtle when we first entered the water! XD Everyone passed the final Dive Theory exam at night and all of us received our Dive Licenses! Whoopdedoo! Course completed. :D Haha. I became a little land-sick at night as well, something like my 'altitude sickness' at Kinabalu. Was quite hyper and weird, happy too. XD

Day 3: Woke up around 6.45AM to see the sunrise but to our dismay, there was none of that sort due to the cloudy conditions. After breakfast and packing up, we took our group photos and I had my last moment in the hammock with the sea breeze. I also seized the opportunity to enjoy the fine sand before we left the island. Boat ride back to Kuala Terengganu, lunch at Chinatown and then it was back to the somewhat misleading Kuala Terengganu airport which looked more like a museum or tourism centre. Traditional Malay architecture which was really nice and added to the feel of the state itself. Speaking of architecture, we passed by the infamous collapsed Terengganu stadium on the way to the airport. Flew back with MAS. Went back to school by bus and finito. Sad to say, it was the end to such an amazing trip (the room's toilet aside). Highlight of my shore snorkelling: I swam right above a jellyfish while pursuing a fish. -_-" Found out only later on. :) We saw quite a few jellies alright!

On a side note, WHOOPDEDOOOOO! I watched Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen last Saturday afternoon (before the expedition). Needless to say, my love for Bumblebee has grown. The graphics were astounding and I found the storyline not too shabby either. I felt a little upset when Optimus got attacked but when he got revamped, it was just too cool to be true! The movie was more action-packed than the last movie, if you ask me. The special effects people definitely put in their all. There were also the funny bits, but at some point, a few fight scenes got a little muddled due to too much action. Nothing could stop me from grinning at Bumblebee though. :D Though I would say the first movie was more sentimental whereas this sequel gave the Transformers a new meaning and a new punch from the past! Interesting scenes of the Egyptian desert, riddles and both old and new Transformers. I really enjoyed this movie, but if you are a Transformers newbie, you are much better off watching the first movie. A much better approach to the franchise, with a good balance of sentiment and jaw-dropping action. All in all, a fun movie to watch, but not one I would watch over and over again. So, go watch it, enjoy the jam-packed action and the Transformers in all their glory once and for all!

Things To Miss

2009-06-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

Today is quite a memorable day in Hollywood, albeit a sad one as well. The famous, dead and gone. "King of Pop" Michael Jackson. Despite his appearance which I have to admit, I did not like too much, I would say that his songs have made their mark in my life. Seems like it was just yesterday, we were performing the Michael Jackson Medley for our Form 1 Performing Arts Showcase. The funny gestures, watching his 'Thriller' video for the umpteenth time out of the blue and mostly, the songs which you somehow knew already since ever. Must be the radio, or was it my parents? I feel guilty for saying that he could have pulled off the role of Phantom of the Opera's Erik without any makeup. A man with no nose and no mouth, dark black holes for his eyes. Actually, he only fits the no nose part. But when I watched the Jackson 5's video on CNN this morning, I was in awe at this young kid's voice and talent. He used to be a cute kid too. Well, weren't we all? It is quite true that we humans only appreciate things after they are gone. I cannot say I'm not one of those people. Sure, I'm not his fan, but to pass away before his comeback tour. Geez. That kinda stinks. Maybe it saved him merely more attacks from the tabloids. Even so, who could've known whether his comeback would be better or worse? Too late now.

Vintage ads. I really like them. They just look so appealing and have that nice drawing feel to them. Authenticity and originality. The best part is, all art is by hand. :)

Something I realised while browsing through these vintage ads, all the candy back then only cost 5 cents. No wonder they had toothache. Sheesh. I just cannot get over it. FIVE CENTS! Why do I even bother.

Wonder President

2009-06-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

So, America has their first Black president, eh? Old school news, probably bland like porridge by now. This amazing video shows the even better side of good ol' Pres. Obama.

Video of the Week:

Hidden Meaning:

"Let this be a message to you, Kim Jong-il." LOL. Truly the best political video so far. :D

Denying Reality

2009-06-14T05:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, to make a statement, you have to put stuff right in the middle. I have finally decided to do that in this post. Many things I wish for, but for now:

HOLIDAYS. I need more time. As usual.

Who knew that watching dive videos, theory and having a taste of compressed air would pass by so fast? My brother coming back and going through an Accounts exam (bleh). Attending a 4 year old's birthday party and going for a drums show.

Everything seems like it was just yesterday. And indeed they were.

As of now, my homework is like a pile of bricks and I am dying to continue reading my Skip Beat manga. Ren. Ren. Ren Tsuruga. Just noticed that you had a super sharp chin. :)

Hanging From A String

2009-06-13T09:46:00.001-07:00

My homework just hit me like a ton of bricks. I have exactly 24 hours to complete all of them. Bleh. I am telling you, the world is going to the Transformers! I have seen too many billboards, commercials, advertisements and toys which are all related to Transformers. I nearly gave in to buying a toy just for fun, but Bumblebee looked bulky and more like a yellow box. If only it was JUNE 23rd! Then I can stop being irritated by the LG TV Transformer (not half bad, actually).

I watched 17 Again. Zac Efron, apart from still looking like his plastic-self, was OK (kinda real this time too!). But, the whole fairy godfather thing was too typical, complete with a time-cyclone. -_-" Zac Efron did gather a few tricks up his sleeve, such as twirling the basketball on all his fingers. Something new, him acting matured, other than Matthew Perry who looked funny in a basketball uniform. Oh well, they all have to start somewhere eventually, moving further away from HSM.

Not Abducted

2009-06-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was quite interesting. I went to help out at the Save The World exhibition. So, I was an Eco-Hero. Rather interesting because earlier in school, I was telling Audrey about those pesky credit-card promoters and I was finally put in my place, as an exhibition-promoter. Passing out flyers and chatting to strangers was all in all, not as bad as I expected. I even seized the opportunity to speak to a lady who was well, one and a half times taller than me. It was just something I felt I HAD to do, naturally. Made me feel quite small to look up to her and speak and then get politely rejected. Getting rejected numerous times taught me how those promoters feel. I even said 'no' for those people who had no decency to even speak, but preferred to stuff their hand in front of my face. Alas, not all was bad. I managed to pass out my flyers anyway. I also played Haselwurz & Barenklau and Arbos. Both were not too bad once you figured out how to play them.

On Tuesday, I went to watch Monsters & Aliens in 3D with Audrey and Tiara. While I loved the 3D effects and the funny characters (BOB and Dr. Cockroach), I thought it was well, just OK. Afterall, Hugh Laurie voiced the Dr. Cockroach! :D Later, we rushed off to watch Night at The Museum 2 which had already started. The beginning was not too bad, with Brundon the guard. XD But, all in all, I found it quite disappointing. Especially when they ended it with the same actress appearing as another new role. WHY?! Now, he can have his cake and eat it too. But the tricks he did with his torch was kinda cool. :)

And surprise, surprise, UP will not be showing in Malaysia until August the 20th! WHICH IS REALLY JUST PLAIN IRRITATING. Toy Story 3 in June NEXT YEAR! :D Meanwhile, I visited the Pixar site and watched their short films, which are really enjoyable as well. Transformers! Anticipation. Movies.

Presumption

2009-05-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

"I presume you have new insults prepared for today." - Young Spock in Vulcan school (where the only thing I understood was "the volume of a sphere is 4/3 'pi'-r-cube", too lazy to look up symbols)

Just go watch Star Trek already! And have you been to the UP website? It just makes me love Pixar even more. :D Try out Front Row and watch the movie trailers. I know I did. XD Now, why am I using the hard-sell technique? I have my Star Trek icons now. Yippee!

Debate this year had less action than 2 years ago. :D I remember the Harimau team doing push-ups during the debate about "Men are Better Than Women" (or something like that). The topics this year were more challenging and it really depended on your abilities to produce strong points against or with the motion. :( Harimau lost to Helang, but we're still up for the 3rd/4th placing with Beruang this Wednesday. The second debate's topic made me think. We're already forced to take up EST, so is that our only 'extra' subject if the government puts a limit on the number of SPM subjects we get to take? The best number I can think of is a maximum of 15 subjects. Not that I'm taking that many. QUIZ tomorrow! The new games sound interesting. I have no clue how does Ricochet Robots work though. -_-"

Trekkie Wannabe

2009-05-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

Now that I have watched one of MY FAVOURITE 2009 Summer Blockbusters, I am profoundly happy. I am going to watch it again! Star Trek! Yeap. You may think it's all space and just boring science-fiction, but I tell you:
1. The graphics were astounding! Though I think spotted a few similar sequences with the space shuttle journeys. Outerspace is so wonderful.
2. The story made sense to an 'outsider'. It is sort of like a prequel anyway. It is all about the beginning, so you don't 'miss out' on much.
3. They inserted some comedy bits here and there to lighten up the mood. :D Worthy of genuine laughter or at the very least, a smirk.
4. The technology was of course, super cool and one of my favourite aspects of the movie.
5. The characters. I LOVE SPOCK & James Tiberius KIRK! They're too cool to be true. XD

Would you believe?

Sylar >>> Spock

Guy in Princess Diaries 2 >>> Captain Kirk

It just makes you think, isn't Hollywood wonderful? For Zachary Quinto, it was from a villain to a Vulcan-Human and in Chris Pine's case, teenage-material to Captain Kirk. :D

All in all, Star Trek is worthy of 9 out of 10 (despite not getting to watch it in the largest cinema hall)! I cannot wait for the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Up and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. :) I am going to re-watch Star Trek!

I just finished watching Heroes Season 3. If anything, I think the story might just improve in the upcoming Volume 5. I have never before seen Sylar in a different light until now. Imagine him with the pointy ears and sharp precision hair style, killing someone to absorb powers. It's weird alright.

Before I Forget

2009-05-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of my Idol Finale rant!
The group performance was quite cool! Allison did a kungfu kick too. The all-white ensemble is a classic Idol thing. Now I wish they would have Idol Gives Back. Especially with this batch of people. :D

Things I noticed:
1. Scott didn't get a performance. :/ Thought maybe Stevie Wonder would stop by again.
2. Bikini Girl VS Kara Dioguardi was weirdly funny. -_-" More like Bikini Girl VS Bikini Kara. LOL! Bikini Girl's tan makes her look kinda weird now.
3. The Lamberts were strictly dressed in gothic-punk-ish attire whereas the Allens were decked out in brights. :D Contrast, anyone? Did you see Adam's mum sporting fingerless-gloves? Interesting.
4. Some singers don't really notice the presence of the Idol contestants. =_="
5. Best Attitude >> Haha. The last girl just killed Kelly Clarkson's song XD

Winning Is Always Something

2009-05-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

I already found out about the winner at school. But if you still haven't watched the 2-hour finale which has been aired 3 times in total today, don't miss out the 12.00AM show! :D I might just be re-watching and loving my dearly beloved Idols even more.

I have no idea but I just don't like Kris Adam's wife. Right. I am so mean and bad. Might try to learn to un-dislike her. :) WHY IS HE MARRIED? AT 21? Then again, why not? :D I have no idea why, I smile whenever I see Adam and/or Kris grinning or smiling. Top dudes. Indeed.

My highlights (according to my memory):
1. Anoop Desai, Alexis Grace and Jason Mraz. The show begins here for me. Jason Mraz still rocking the fedora and Anoop's opening + Alexis' vocals weren't half bad either! :)
2. Allison and Cyndi Lauper. She can rock the red hair and sing so darn well XD I am gonna buy her debut album! CAN'T WAIT!
3. Danny Gokey and Lionel Ritchie. More talent and Danny is being himself. Lionel Ritchie songs suit him. Call me old fashioned, but I like him to sing more ballads or mid-tempo stuff. :D
4. Kris and Keith Urban. :D Country Skills. Carrie Underwood, you have some competition! His voice is suits the genre, definitely no cornball hokey there!
5. Adam and KISS. XD OMG. Whoa. Okay, I think I don't mind metal-rock anymore. Adam, you can wear a funky outfit and still belt out tunes alongside a face-paint band who stick out their tongues like they mean it. Awesome! O.O SMASHED GUITAR. I have never seen someone seriously smash a guitar before. Too cool for words. XD
6. Steve Martin playing the banjo (!!) with Megan Joy and Michael Sarver. It was something new and even my parents were surprised! :D I relate Megan's voice to Amy Winehouse. She could pull it off if she wanted to.
7. Adam, Kris and Queen. BEST SONG EVER! And what a song to sing. Both of them pulled it off perfectly! A great and appropriate song to sing before the results. I love Idol finale duets. XD You guys are my champions. How cheesy, but it's the truth. XD

Finally...
KRIS ALLEN is the new American Idol! Wheee... Found out earlier. -_-" And what does he say? "Adam deserves this. I'm sorry." Still the humble 21-year old college student, eh? :) He's a nice fellow. Did you see Allison and Adam? Rock siblings indeed. XD I'm gonna go watch the first 1/2 hour of the show which I missed. :P

Finally

2009-05-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Finally, the Mid-Year Exams are gone for good. Surrendered to the scratches of our teachers' red pens. Results? I don't want to think about them. No failures, *gulps* I hope.

Most importantly and finally, the American Idol Final Performance Night! The week I missed out on Idol, one of my faves, Allison left the pack. I was not too happy. Then, Danny left despite his strong vocals. Acoustic "Heartless" just doesn't come around very often, you see (cue some love for Kris :D). Adam, of course, and his amazing vocals from heart-melting ballads to rocking out with the high notes. :D

Two years ago, I would just watch the season finale and look at the winner's face and listen to their last performance. That's all. But...

I REALLY REALLY LOVED THE FINAL PERFORMANCE NIGHT!!! :D

It was the best one I have ever watched too. No boxing theme, just a nice, simple show made for the final two to sing out their souls. Call me a little biased, but I feel that this particular season had more interesting talent than last years' (where the good people got the boot much earlier than expected). Anyhow, Adam's "Mad World" was amazing as usual but when I heard Kris' "Ain't No Sunshine", I felt that he had somehow thought it over about who got to go first. Smart move. Him and the grand piano, smoothed out with his vocals... XD I was a fan-girl who melted (even though I have Adam's Mad World as one of my Most Played in iTunes). :D Kris + Guitar = Some acoustic love + fun. Adam's 2nd performance was not really my favourite but he's still the spectacular star we know he is. XD I didn't get the last 2 songs though. Both dudes were actually singing the same song... -_-" Right... Don't like that song too much and I don't blame the fantastic singers. It just felt weird having them sing the same song. I guess the show's producers were trying to make it more competitive. :S

I have a feeling that Adam's gonna win, but hey, Kris might just have some kind of magic, maybe? They're really different but each has his own quirks and special qualities. Love 'em both anyhow. :D

And Then Freedom

2009-05-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

One more day to the end of the Mid-Year Exams. :D :D :D

I was covering the Post-It note while checking VLE. Hidden guilt, it seems. By the way, the Silver Expedition form is up on VLE and well, the price to pay is just a little unsettling, what with the economy crisis nowadays. RECESSION! But, humans are selfish and I feel like going for the Silver Diving Expedition! The permission and $$$ lies with my parents, so it's up to them. :S Money makes life financially-challenging. A paradox indeed.

Physics was troubling, English and Maths 2 were both somewhat unclear at some parts, felt drowsy and was forced to liquid-paper the accidental scribbles I made while writing down the answers, which reminds me of my Sejarah paper and how I repeated sentences while writing one of the essays. Woke up and started with a new, clean sheet. My test pad is disappearing like magic. Those papers aren't cheap either. And all because of the emblem.

Internet Anonymus

2009-05-17T03:37:00.000-07:00

I am currently going through a Trouble-For-Not-Studying syndrome. Yet here I am, typing away on my MacBook, cherishing the very last moments of running my fingers across the smooth keyboard before I keep it shut with a promising Post-It note (one of the little things which is required in life). "GET AWAY FROM MACBOOK" is a classic. Meanwhile, it is frustrating to figure out some kind of Physics problem without moving to adjust my blinds for suitable lighting, so I went to turn on the MacBook... Just for some music, bear you. Then it gradually... From a 3-day MacBook confiscation to blog-hopping, downloading music, watching videos, visiting the Spongebob website where I tried to play a game (but darn you stupid plug-in which is unable to be identified!), playing more games, bookmark-ing and utilising the internet in a leisurely manner. And I have never enjoyed so much TV for this month other than last Friday. Ah. The comforts of channel-surfing and going sleepy after 2-3 hours. Didn't even bother to think about Sejarah, which I fell asleep while studying the night before and crammed on the day itself. STUPID. STUPID. I digress. With much regret alongside my choice of essay for Bahagian B in BM Paper 2. -_-""""" What's done is done. :(

And that is how important rest and relaxation is for me. Both seem to come before *cough cough* Physics problem-solving *cough*. I used to like Chapter 2, until it came to the part of the 'tan' and 'cos' angle of force and equillibrium (not sure and not too happy) stuff. And the textbook questions which I had left blank. WHY?! Cos my brain gave up after looking at the questions. I cannot wait for the real end to all this pressure. Pardon the pun. My mother asks me whether I am feeling alright because it seems to her like I'm eating food without much expression and emotion and with surprising speed too. Maybe it's the fact that my wet kitchen is being renovated and the exam stress. I miss you too, stove.

In The Green

2009-05-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

I watched Talentime for the first time this week. It was cool to watch talented people perform under the spotlight. Their message was one, a simple cause everyone should support. To save the world and everything in it, while we can. It's either being green or dying mean. XD Andrea and Gabriel were awesome! We also had a short and sweet introduction to the Save The World umbrella society. Yes, yes, going green and becoming an eco-school. A dream worth chasing.

We all dream of a world powered by everything green, where litter will be revolted like theft etc. I mean, I have watched shows on innovations for a greener planet, yet when you go to any supermarket in Malaysia, the people in the store just put the stuff into plastic bags as though they were on auto-pilot, even when you place the cloth sacks in front of their noses. I remember buying some stuff from a supermarket near my cousin's apartment in central Melbourne. You were forced to bring your own bags or pay extra for plastic bags. That is a good practice. Yet the catch is, we would have to buy extra plastic to line the bins. Anyhow, we should already know how to be green without all the talk about societies. I am not an extremist (I don't think my household can live without 'free bin liner' from the supermarkets). Just trying to say, it's a good thing for this Save The World society and if, only they would have given some leeway in the pledge (for me so that I wouldn't need to hide in my hole of free bin liners). Maybe I won't be here amidst my pessimistic nagging. Oh well.

Meanwhile, these fantastic blogs and websites are a total opposite of me. :D
Crunchy Chicken Planet Green Green As A Thistle Tree Hugger and Best Green Blogs

Happy visiting! :D

Typical Jam

2009-04-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

My mother and I were caught in a traffic jam due to an accident by the road leading to my house. From afar, it looked like an elastic collision (physics is applied in daily life, no? XD) between four cars. But... it was only the usual two-car accident. One car with the careless driver. And guess what? The car which hit into the victimised car still had people in it. -_-" People who looked kind of carefree and well, they might just be enjoying the air-cond while waiting for the tow truck to arrive. Smart people. The best part of it was, there were two other cars (and one more across the road) which appeared to have stopped by to find out what was going on. Geez. -_-" Well, at least no one was hurt. I think.

Sports day was... Apart from my own act of betrayal as a reserve for the relay, we did our best out there marching. And well, third, it was. I have to admit I wasn't too glad but everyone got burnt out there for the past few weeks and every house has an equal chance of getting 1st place. Beruang and their Ferris Wheel, Seladang and their 007-sunglasses-thingamajig and Helang and their tulle ballerina skirts. :) Even so, props to our captains and seniors and props (pardon the pun) people, of course. Next year? XD Semangat ~~lah~~! For some reason, I feel weird when I type out 'lah', but it might have some kind of effect for that kind of word. Yes, I am weird that way.

Later on, I attended my niece's birthday party in the afternoon. :D She's TWO now. Same goes for my cousin in Singapore. Their birthdays are TWO days apart. Coincidentally! :)

my niece Cassandra, who is quite the poser

my cousin Andrew and his mum

Lastly, I just read Chapter 50 of Vampire Knight manga. Not really my kind of chapter :( cos it's mostly Kaname. Sheesh. And two pages of the next chapter's preview with... ZERO! Whoopdeedoo! Kiriyuu Zero is awesomeness in manga/anime vampire form. :D One more month to the next chapter! Can't wait! OMG AWESOMENESS... I just read the bonus chapter from last month and well, let's just say I am more than happy now. :D Zero and Ichiru! Here we go again. XD

Burnt Both Sides

2009-04-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Since we have been having sports practice for 3 days now, I have just noticed one of the effects of staying under the sun for a prolonged amount of time. Most of the sunburnt areas are my neck and face. To prevent this, I have finally concluded to wearing sunblock. A little too late now, I guess, but it might still work. Since I already had my tan from my Langkawi trip, it is weirder now cos I am almost in three different tones. Sunburn feels like something irritating because sometimes it itches but when you scratch it, it actually hurts.

I still have to say something, Harimau marching is cool! :D So it was worth it. And watching the high jump event was very interesting and awe-inspiring. I didn't even pass the 1st stage, so basically all I did was watch and learn from the pros. I could only wish to posses some kind of technique or skill. Tug-o-war was also a fun event. We have improved this year and hopefully in the years to come!

Lastly, the Cheerleading Competition. It was AWESOME. All teams have improved, with more complicating choreography and cooler stunts. Seladang won on both campuses. Their routine was quite an eye-opener, especially the upside-down human pendulum stunt. Kudos to the other houses who also put in so much effort into this event. I find that cheerleading is really really competitive and every single house practises like mad. At the end of the day, we are the lucky audience who get to watch them perform. Harimau wasn't too shabby either, getting 2nd place. It was all SO COOL! XD

Sports day is in TWO days. :S I am crossing my fingers and toes for Harimau! I really like our marching routine this year. It is different from our past years and we have really put in a lot of effort. :D

Higher and Above

2009-04-21T06:40:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is going to be interesting. Not only because there will be the awesome cheerleading competition (Yeah! HARIMAU!) to watch, but also because... I'm in high jump.

WHAT?! *gasp*

Since I received my call of duty this morning, I have been practicing (pathetically) by jumping around like a nut. Of course, it does nothing to help. Maybe it makes me more awake. I haven't tried jumping when I am half-asleep though. Maybe I will do that tomorrow morning. The first thing when I wake up will be to... JUMP. And maybe stumble down, then I will sleep on the floor which is cooling and nice. :) The joys of waking up with a backache.

I have a new cure for my disability to wake up properly or rather, promptly.
1. Use my mother's phone which snoozes for only ONE minute and has an irritating, high-pitch alarm tone which goes on and on forever.
2. Use my mother's phone and my phone combined.
3. Set alarm(s) to 5 minutes before time to wake up because subconsciously, I tend to ignore the alarm(s) in the beginning.

Apparently, to high jump, you have to run in a line shaped like a 'J' to get to the pole before jumping over it. I tried to jump over my living room sofa and well, I stopped before jumping cos I didn't want to hurt myself. Hmm... I might just go try it again after this.

Square Eyes

2009-04-19T03:38:00.000-07:00

Did you remember when you were young, your mum would scold you for sitting too close to the television? Telling you that you would get 'square eyes'? Well, my mum did. It is a simple metaphor actually. Square eyes = Glasses. Sounds better than 'four eyes' (directly translated from Chinese).

Since Friday, I have been watching Heroes Season 3. And boy, has it came such a long way since the time when Hiro was trapped in feudal Japan (Season 2) and that was PATHETIC. Nevertheless, I am still a Heroes fan. I still love Hiro Nakamura, Peter Petrelli and Micah Sanders, who has grown more matured and has a deeper voice now. OMG. I LOVE THAT KID and now, THAT TEEN. As always, a loyal fan here. :D I actually noticed his name at the beginning of the show (those at the bottom of the screen with 'guest-starring'). So it was already sort of like a spoiler. :(

The show is always playing the safe card, if that's what I noticed. Not much characters getting into danger, they usually fly to safety. That's not really a pun. My favourite moments while catching up on Season 3 was when Tracy Strauss freezed herself up. It looked cool. And of course, getting to see Micah again reminded me why I loved Season 1 so much. I really want to see more of Hiro and Ando. They make me smile. :D Cheesy, but 100% true. XD

My next agenda is to get up-to-date with House. The last episode I watched was tres cool. My idol. And his medical genius. Whoopdedoo. I have also began watching Nodame Cantabile j-drama. OMG. It is kinda cool. CHIAKI :D NODAME!

Life Goes On

2009-04-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

As we received our Bio results today, I am feeling less than satisfied with my pure science subjects' results. As what Cik Zakiah said:

"Welcome to Form 4!"

And by golly, I only got the message today. Literally, the guilt which woke up the part of my brain where my memory bank is supposed to be in gear for studying, memorising etc. That one feeling which I try to stay away from. Another quote from my brother: "Oh, I see. B for Biology, then C for Chemistry? What did you get for Physics? A 'P'??" -_-" Nope, I landed on a 'C' which kind of left me feeling nothing. The in-between. Relief of not failing though. Yeap. Next up to put me on the plank is Chem. The one where I literally blanked out and left a page blank too. :S

Back to the side of the world where things are more than red marks and wake-up calls, Games Carnival was quite an experience for me. I never really knew that I had it in me to scream at a terrible pitch to cheer on the others. Other than me being happy with Harimau's progress, I also spent time at the CCB booth selling drinks. Quite interesting. Considering they confiscated our Maggi-cup on the first day. Despite that, we finished stock for Day 1. :D And I broke my personal record by attending Games Carnival for all 4 days. That has never happened before in my life. XD

Apart from that, I also bought 12 different colours of Sharpie markers. Best purchase of the month. How I love colours just so. :)

Nodame Cantabile, Chiaki is Love

2009-04-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

Once again, I have fallen in love with yet another anime. XD But seriously, this one is truly amazing and so darn cool (die-hard fan here). Nodame Cantabile, an anime of piano-playing and conducting orchestras, is truly a combination of incredible music and interesting characters. The main girl character, Nodame actually purses her lips while playing and she does it really incredibly as though it doesn't require any effort. Sigh. If only I had a quarter of her talent, I would be exceptionally glad already. Long fingers too! That is one of the reasons I cannot play more than an octave if I don't put in that extra stretch. Eesh.

Meanwhile, I am stuffing myself with as many Nodame songs/compilations to keep myself motivated to practise more and hopefully, be able to play just one teeny-weeny song from the wonderful anime. The sheet music is frightening. Demi-semi quavers with the left hand moving rapidly up and down the keyboard. Eee... Who am I kidding? I took almost 2 months to learn River Flows Into You. -_-" Well, at least I can play it better now. :P

If you are interested in the music compilations, this site really has it ALL. Credits to that amazing blogger. It's mostly classical pieces, but the really rapid type which require that extra punch of skills and crazy finger work.

Back to that never-ending pile of homework which I compiled from before the exams up until now. No Nodame Cantabile anime for me today. I cannot wait to begin reading the manga too. XD As what Nodame usually says or rather, screams: "AIEEEEEEE...!"

CHIAKI is my love. He who plays the piano, the violin and conducts (he cooks and cleans too) with such perfection, is truly incredible. If only the world had anime characters that are real. Zero-Chiaki-George-Kyouya. OMG.

Everyone Loves Chocolate (But Vanilla Rules)

2009-03-27T23:57:00.000-07:00

I have been really wanting to do this project/recipe and due to the exams and etc. I did not get a moment in time to make a...

MUG BROWNIE in 5 minutes or less! Get into the kitchen and make one NOW, even if you cannot bake or don't have an oven (like yours truly).

Mug Brownie - More DIY How To Projects

A few tips from the comments and my experience:
* Replace the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil with MELTED BUTTER/MARGARINE. But don't let it splatter all over the inside of your microwave and then cry. Just 20-25 seconds will do.
* Add 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips/chocolate chunks to make it more yummy.
* I added an extra tablespoon of milk and cocoa powder (due to greed) cos my mixture looked slightly drier.
* EAT IT STRAIGHTAWAY because it might get a little harder (just like all things microwave-d tend to get after a while). You will want to anyway.
* Add a scoop of Vanilla ice-cream. Yummmmmm... But I didn't have any. :( My freezer is full of green tea ice-cream and basically, that clashes with the rules of chocolate.
* Soak the mug immediately after eating to prevent complications with scrubbing.

On a final note, VANILLA ICE-CREAM rules and I would kill to get some now. *dreams about Bulla's Mixed Berries Frozen Yoghurt and Strawberry Ski Yoghurt*

A Little While

2009-03-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

For every exam so far, I have a day I consider to be relaxed and... Today might just be one of those days for me! All the Pure Science subjects are finally over and done with. Tomorrow is only Add Maths. And then Moral and Maths 1. -__-" Typing this out just made me realise something. MATHS 1 and MORAL to end the exams!?! Or should I say, end our lives? Never mind. Well, that means not even one episode of Heroes or House for me. :(

I lament. Yesterday, my excuse for using the computer was checking my Move Ahead Bio answers and check, I did. The truth is, I have absolutely no sense of discipline. I even began reading one of my new storybooks just now. Wrong move. However, fiction relief was required after two days of Pure Science. Somehow, I can memorise storybook text better than my own notes. On a brighter note, there will be more downloading to be done while I am suffering in school! :D

Fluid Mosaic Phospholipid Bilayer

2009-03-23T03:47:00.000-07:00

I found this screen shot on my desktop and just to lighten up the beginning of our 2nd half of exams this week, here it is:

interesting

While I was playing WMD, I found out that: Rightttt... Edward Cullen/Cedric Diggory even has a school... -_-" Audrey was fortunate enough to play a game with 'Jacob B' and 'Edward C'. Such creative names, alongside this 'school'. No 'Renesmee' though, that would be a tad bit too obvious and... Well, who in this real world is actually named Renesmee? I wouldn't happen to know. Back to the forever-interesting Carrier Proteins and Active Transport.

Vampires and the Host Club

2009-03-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

VAMPIRE KNIGHT + OURAN = AWESOMEST CROSSOVER. XD XD

So, maybe you don't know who these people are: Kiriyuu Zero and Ootori Kyoya and Mitsukuni "Hunny" Haninozuka. But... OMG. *fan-girl self takes over* WHO CARES. JUST READ THE CROSSOVER MANGA ALREADY. XD XD Linked up perfectly too.

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6 / Chapter 7 / Chapter 8

Anime and Manga To-do List:
1. Watch Nodame Cantabile
2. Complete Godchild Manga
3. Watch Code Geass
4. Watch & Read Skip Beat Anime/Manga
5. Re-watch Ouran
6. Catch up on Lovely Complex
7. Get more Anime songs (cos they are so amazingly addictive)

The exams are not even over and I am already (once again) infatuated with anime and manga. My hands are full. Code Geass sounds and looks great (unlike a certain, ahem. ahem. Darker Than Black). Then again, I lost my Code Geass DVD -_-" which is truly... Stupid. After the exams, I will go searching or... Just get the anime from my cousin's hard-drive and kill my Macintosh HD along the way. XD My dearest HD.

*Pn. Azura, if you are reading this, it is never too late for you to read manga or watch anime. VAMPIRE KNIGHT - OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB -PARADISE KISS -LOVELY COMPLEX - FRUITS BASKET - COUNT CAIN/GODCHILD
Just pick one. :D

Paradise in Langkawi

2009-03-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

After Sejarah killed me poor brains, I went on an escapade to Pulau Langkawi. XD YIPEE! You know, that island in Kedah. I SAW THAILAND HILLS from the beach. That's how close we are to Thai food and some dangerous ex-communist areas.

Anyhow, rushed off to LCCT after last-minute checking and packing. My mum and I spoke to this Scottish dude on board the plane. And... his name is Alex. Alexander, to be exact. 0.0 His friends were pronouncing 'Alex' as 'Ah-luhx'. Indeed, it sounded more like a guy's name and Scottish that way. Sadly, none of them Scots play the bagpipes. :(

We stayed at the Andaman. Everything was great there and well, I was so happy that I went back a little sun-burnt despite the hourly sunblock applications. My mum and cousins found a dead jellyfish which had drifted ashore when they walked all the way to the Datai side. Interesting stuff. After a few attempts to to put it back into the sea (I don't know how), it was pronounced dead and they brought it back to our side in a plastic bag. My mum was savouring the National Geographic moment we were having and well, of course, everyone in my family had to take a photo with it. It felt somewhat slimy and smelled rather fishy so I did not have much guts to carry the jellyfish. Just when I was about to hold it up, my cousin frightened me. And I have no comments about that. I also accidentally stepped on the other jellyfish which was smaller. Yeap, I totally freaked out. Guess my chances of becoming a marine biologist are quite slim.

My daredevil mother holding the dead jellyfish (my mother is perfectly well, no itches, no stings)

One morning, as my mother left for breakfast with my grandma, she forgot to close the French doors and a large Dusky Leaf Monkey came into our room to steal some food. Bread and tomato ketchup from yesterday's KFC. My aunt who lived in the room next-door saw it and (of course) freaked out, calling for my uncle who was eating instant noodles in their room. She described it to be as tall as a four year old kid. Very interesting. My aunt, as amazingly as it seemed, played detective and checked whether it had stolen any other stuff. She's good at things like this.

Apart from that, I experienced a 'Jangan Pandang Belakang' moment when we drove back from dinner one night. The road was all dark and my cousin was driving the van we rented as carefully as he could. I imagined that a Chainsaw Massacre guy might have just popped up in front of us anytime and we would just drive him over by accident because the streetlights were turned off.

We went to the beach the night before we left and sat to enjoy the salty fragrance and sea breeze. Due to the (stupid) clouds though, we could not see any stars. However, I found a hermit crab, my cousin caught it and we decided to name it Umang/Herbie/Lim (named after my swift yet not so swift cousin who caught it)/Crabby. I saw some lights blinking far out in the sea near the Thai hills. I think there were some fishermen out there or... if worst comes to the worst, sharks fin (cue for Alexis). The next morning, we woke up around 7 to see the sunrise. While waiting, I fell asleep because of the beautiful conditions, the sea breeze was so cool and nice (a gazillion times better than AC). There was not much to see because of the clouds (again). However, my other cousin found another hermit crab with a dark-coloured shell.

We also saw a flying squirrel on a tree near our room's corridor twice throughout our trip. Apparently, it is a nocturnal animal. Therefore, the flying squirrel only goes jumping around at night.

SEE??

Glad About Maths

2009-03-06T23:56:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, we had World Maths Day. It began Tuesday evening and ended on Thursday. Tuesday evening was when all things maths and internet began. Basically, on Wednesday, we were trying to play the game in class, but the internet was not working too well, so the entire class rushed to the hall (with permission). Our team managed to pick up in the rankings (5th in the WORLD!) and soon we were one of the four teams chosen to stay back and play the whole of the next day. Went back home, played again till late night. Sometimes, when you play too much WMD, your vision might tend to become a little blurry and I actually typed in addition answers when it came to division. That was when I finally decided to hit the sack.

Thursday was the final day for us to catch up. But we played and played and played until... we sped up to beat the Turkish school and CIS Team A. It was seriously amazing because the night before, CIS and the Turkish school were hiking up the rankings and we were having a tough night. After achieving the 4th place, we were driven even further, to overtake the Form 1s. Everyone played non-stop and despite all the obstacles XD, e.g. the main plug could not work, looking for plug points, dying batteries and sharing chargers, we skipped lunch and managed to achieve the 3RD PLACE in the world! XD XD The next challenging part was maintaining our placing. At one critical point, we were merely 300pts away from the Form 1s, so we stayed back after school and managed to widen the gap. XD Audrey and I left early for tuition (no satay party), but we had already played our parts. :P When I went back home, I played my last game and checked the results page.

WE WERE STILL 3RD IN THE WORLD and the gap was really wide! XD Yippee! And then it was back to the harsh reality of 1st Mid-Sem Exams and studying.

I don't know why I posted this so late. I just had to finish this draft which was staring at me miserably on my 'Posts' page beside one of my crappy posts. And WMD was mostly fun and excitement, an unforgettable experience. :D Ironically, Maths Paper 2 was a killer. Oh well...

Day of Learning

2009-02-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

Today, there was no choir practice except for after school. The day started off with Chemistry instead of PE and I was very 'smart' as to yawn directly in Mr. Sheat's direction. Right... He decided to make me fetch the periodic table chart for him from the Chem Lab. I had to make 2 rounds because the 1st time round, it was not in the Chem Lab and the Prep Room was locked. Basically, I was walking up and down, enjoying the fresh air and freedom while Mr. Sheat introduced to us a higher-level (or in teacher's words, higher class) of electron configuration. Instead of only cheapskate numbers, the letters s, p, d etc. are used alongside numbers. But it's okay because we don't need to know the proper stuff for the cheapskate SPM. XD I guess I didn't miss out that much then. Add Maths was fine. NO HOMEWORK! Well, I have to complete yesterday's work, so... Not for me, at least. The short Bio tests (5 and 10 minutes each) took up the entire lesson and EST was the usual. I will be missing another school day tomorrow because of the full-day rehersal at Cheras. Oh well, we have to stay back for extra classes next week. I hope that solves the problems of understanding classwork which we missed out on. :S Phew. At least Rhinaa (fantastic amazing person, I hope you see this XD) is such a big help, writing down all the classwork and homework for me.

And before I forget,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RACHEL! Our super class monitor who does her job really well and is super nice as well. :D And she takes great photos too. X ) Have a great day!

Skipping School

2009-02-25T06:06:00.000-08:00

For one whole day, I missed school for singing. Technically, choir is a group effort, the harmonising of the different voices to create a dynamic performance. Truly dynamic indeed. I still prefer the small comforts of the vocal studio to the Cheras North Hall and those pesky microphones. When I was singing, I could hear various echos which were weird and distracting. Distant voices mimicing us... Tequila-Tequila-Tequila... No, I'm not drunk.

We sang Oye and Dubula with the other choirs from Cheras. It was a little confusing because each choir sang a certain part entirely and we were SATB split into three different directions. :S You could just imagine the mental chaos of clashing voices and trying to not get confused. Thank goodness for people like Nazmin, Melinda and Alexis, I can live it through without singing the primary kids' part. And how about the new moves to accompany Dubula? Since the not-so-tall me was standing behind two tall primary kids on a small side-stage filled with people, I just did my best. I really did. I was just trying my best not to clip the primary girl's hair while I clapped my hands. Instead of going for lunch, Audrey, Alexis and I stayed back in the hall. We saw a small primary boy randomly dancing. XD He was really cute and HAHAHAHA... You should have seen him twirl around, running around and then stopping to dance out of the blue. Really adorable! There is another young primary boy who plays the cello and he too, is so cute. :) He was playing with a SLR camera and if only I could capture that moment... XD We went back in time for 15 minutes of Sejarah and well, nothing else. I WENT HOME EARLY TODAY! :D Which is one of the rare privileges I treasure nowadays. Having to catch up with schoolwork is not fun though, since most of it is classwork or done and submitted to teacher. :S

World Maths Day

2009-02-24T06:55:00.000-08:00

You know... There is a website which challenges your brain and your number typing skills as well. Did I mention that the game there is HIGHLY ADDICTIVE (well, to me at least)?

Anyhow, SPEAK OF THE DEVIL! During Swimming Gala, our booth was located strategically in Cempaka Avenue (not the main area in the canteen) and right in front of the 'sound booth', or as I would like to call it, the 'deaf booth'. After trying the hard-sell method while loud music and several voices drummed into my ears, I eventually gave up. And the word 'anyhow' was being used in almost every sentence of the emcee. A few examples are as follows, "Anyhow, we have a song dedicated from bla bla...", "Anyhow, I would dance if I could...", "Anyhow, this year's Swimming Gala champion is Seladang" or something similar. I guess being a lousy salesperson sharpens my hearing.

Back to the game (I tend to deviate A LOT), Live Mathletics is highly addictive. Other than the crazy calculating and super-efficient typing, you sort of get a thrill when you meet people from school in the game and having to compete with them. Haha. In the IT Centre during Maths class, everyone was busy identifying who was who. XD Meanwhile, I was struggling with classwork and doing last-minute edits for my Sejarah slides. World Maths Day is kind of interesting. REALLY :D Or at least I think so. I should break my record. Oh-kay. Time to stop playing too much. :S I remember that phase during which I played Sporktris and the McDonalds game. Right... And there is a country called Oman somewhere near those Arabic countries. Hmm... World Maths Day has indirectly improved my geography. Now, do you see the perks of said game?

The Next Day

2009-02-23T05:18:00.000-08:00

The next morning, my mother sent to our school's annual Swimming Gala in Cempaka Cheras. And we got lost. Again. I arrived late for the opening of our booth.

It was a whole new experience for me because I haven't been to Swimming Gala early in the morning (last year, Audrey and I went around 9). Since I haven't manned a booth before, I tell you, selling things was a tough business (pardon the pun). I basically stood there saying "soya bean" to whoever who went past our booth and earned many "thanks, but no thanks" looks. Right... Lousy sales.

Then came the interesting part... Cheering for HARIMAU! Yippee... :D I left my post and went to watch the last few events. After the results were announced, Seladang won (oh well, something new), I went back to the booth. Basically, we had lots of soya bean and cincau left behind due to lousy sales. Bleh. Poor Audrey and Peter were still manning the booths. With the help of Audrey, Peter, Priyangkha, Alexis and her siblings, the remainder was distributed for free. -_-" At least that beats bringing the whole tub back home. Haha! Alexis' brother was vital in this process because he even managed to give out the warm cincau (we were out of ice). XD

Last but not least... Happy belated brithday to Audrey Lim Mei Yen who managed to drink 5 CUPS OF SOYA CINCAU!

You are so cool (and you'll never ever want to see or drink anymore soya cincau)! Happy Sweet Soya-Cincau 16th! XD Just kidding... You were amazing that day, manning the booth and missing out on cheering plus carrying back 2 giant bottles of water. :D You're such a good sport and a great friend!

Plus One

2009-02-23T04:57:00.000-08:00

Recently, there have been a few interesting happenings in my life. Not to say that it's dull, just more of me having nothing that I want to say. Something like that.

Two days ago, my mother lost her car key around midnight. Yeap. After fetching her friends to our house in the afternoon, she remembered locking the car and then placing the key into the same drawer as always. Said drawer is located at the front desk of my house, a counter right next to the main door. Then my father came back quite late and when he was about to reverse her car...

THE KEYS ARE LOST. To add to the mystery... The car key holder is in the drawer, but without half of the key-chain's latch, I don't really know how to explain. Uhmm... The key-chain's latch broke into two.

Sherlock Holmes, where are you when we need you?! So all three of us stayed up late to look for the car keys all over the house. It is still a mystery to us. Either someone forgot to lock the door when another one of my mother's friends came over later in the evening, allowing the thief easy entry (our gate is not that challenging)... OR the the key broke and fell in the porch (because my mother was rushing around), the observant thief would then be one lucky guy.

BUT... The car was still in my house. Now, that is weird, don't you think.

So maybe the thief who stole the car key didn't know how to operate her car, which I think is quite possible. Not to insult the thief and all but you have to step on the brake pedal while pressing the start-engine button. Yeap. Our solution (not to the mystery):

We drove the car to my grandparents' house using the spare key (which is kept in my grandparent's house) and left it there. They live about less than 1km away. Thank goodness for that. Phew. The car key system is going to be reprogrammed tomorrow. What a relief! :) Still... The lost car keys will remain a mystery. I wonder...

Festivities and Fever

2009-01-29T07:16:00.000-08:00

Now, when is the worst time to fall ill and feel like a zombie? Not Chinese New Year, of course. But, I am sick. First, let's get back to the festivities.

The first day of CNY was the most eventful, but I personally feel that this year's celebrations has toned down a little. I went to my paternal grandparent's house for lunch. My four year old cousin who was back for his very first CNY in Malaysia simply took joy in collecting his angpows. It was very interesting to hear him say "Gong Xi Fatt Chai" in his English accent before he returned to bouncing around the living room. The smart boy went to a corner to secretly pry open his red packet as well. I served sweet Chinese tea to my grandparents and basically whoever who gave me an angpow, haha.

After that, we went off to my cousin's house. Everyone took lots of photos there. Lots and lots. There was even a moment when my cousin's uncle's camera had no more memory left. -_-" My cousin's camera was utilised to the maximum instead. My aunt had bought many pots of beautiful chrysanthemum plants. She brought out a bench to the entryway of her house and in front of it were many blooming, yellow and lilac-coloured chrysanthemums. In the evening, we had ice-cream cake and lots of delicious food (of course). I then tried my luck at gambling. When we were about to switch games, I started shivering and that's when the fun ended. The fever had begun to kick in, what a kill-joy. I still continued gambling with the help of my cousin's jacket. :D

I went to a clinic near my house on the second day of CNY. I was shivering in the middle of the night before. It was weird. Apparently, I had high fever. In the afternoon, we went to my Ama's (my mother's mother) house. After spectating my older cousins gamble with my aunties, I couldn't just sit and stare. Haha. While my aunties played mahjong with my older cousin, I played Chor Dai Dee with my mother and 2 other cousins. My mother was the winner, she won RM15 from all 3 of us. At one point in the game, I managed to win two games in a row, so I am quite happy with that achievement.

I am hoping to gamble (and win) more tomorrow at my aunt's house. Haha.

Overload

2009-01-21T02:42:00.000-08:00

It is finally that time of the year again. A short but interesting week filled with the colour RED everywhere, on clothes, red packets, hanging decorations etc. Chinese New Year is only a few days away. Despite only being in school for 3 weeks or less, I feel extremely glad that there is a week's holiday. Of course, there is that taunting pile of holiday homework lined up for us in advance but still, I cannot help but grin as thoughts of the upcoming holidays wander across my mind.

School has been hectic these few days, the amount of work to complete increasing slowly. I managed to watch the inauguration of the Barack Obama last night. He gave a great speech and expressed much concern towards the challenges of his nation. This morning, I was watching parts of the inauguration parade and noticed that he and his wife were watching the parade from a glass enclosed space. Unlike in the movies though, you never really get to see the secret agents with their black suits and sunglasses.

A New Beginning

2009-01-11T22:33:00.000-08:00

Hi. My name is Alexandra Yoong Li Ann. This introduction is compulsory. I am a normal human with not much instincts. For example, I think I can sleep through a fire alarm. I enjoy sleeping at the wrong times, no matter the time, the place or the conditions. I just noticed that I can actually survive Form 4. SURVIVE! Week 2 is over, my aspirations to become a doctor was slightly bruised by Audrey Lim Mei Yen's comment but still... School is school - stress overdone but simplified, confined to studying, extra curricular activities and student life. Apparently, we must study before entering our Science classes but I still haven't gotten the kick just yet. Chinese New Year is a week away, which is the only thing I can think of because my house has already been decorated, not to mention the manadarin oranges which I ate almost everyday until I began to cough. Lesson learnt.

I enjoy listening to the funnest kind of music. That word is grammatically correct because Steve Jobs used it in his Keynotes presentation last year. The rule of thumb is that influential people have power over certain things, like grammar. Even if it sounds a little wrong and somewhat generic, the new iPod Touch is still the funnest iPod ever. Or is it now?