Shopping

Shopping yesterday was fun. I bought a blue blouse and a scarf from Max & Co. Items on sale at 30% but still very expensive actually. Hubby said long time ago don't tell him how much I spend ... heh heh ... especially if I'm buying clothes for him. So if I see anything nice, I'll just get it myself with my own money. Whether it be stuffs for him or for myself. :)

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Books: I got the Book 3 of the Sovereign Stone Trilogy. If Kino doesn't have it, go to Borders. At least you can place an order for the book if they don't have it there. And if you cannot wait, check it out at Sunny and hey presto! They've got it! Brand new, slightly cheaper and comes all wrapped up in a plastic cover as well. Now, why didn't I think of going to Sunny in the first place? :O

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CDS: Got Ashkenazy playing Tchaikovsky's The Seasons ... hmm, I think I was in the middle of learning 'October'. Did I manage to complete learning the piece? That was also in the beginning of the year. I guess I must have ... heh. Also got Gentle Dreams by Julian Lloyd Webber ... now why did I get this CD? OKie, so HMV was playing it over the speaker when I was shopping. DUH.

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Lunch was great. A little unfortunate quite a lot of stuffs were finished. Friends were great too. Long time never see them. Seeing them again soon! Yay! :)

I think there is something wrong with the weighing scales. I have put on 2 kilos! Now, how could that be? heh ... nevermind, I'll lose all of them after the holidays. Once term starts, I'll be on a bread-and-tomato diet for lunch, and sometimes if too busy, I probably won't have time for lunch too! So ... heck, I want to eat more now! Dim sum later .. yum yum yum :)

*****
Should I take up a Master's? Everyone I know is doing it ... further studying and doing their Master's, and finishing their Master's already. *sigh* ... What can I do if I want to? A Master's in Biochemistry? A Master's in Chemistry? A Master's in Education? MSc sounds damn difficult. Advanced Organic Synthesis ... urrgh. Interesting, but ... extremely tough. Do I want to work so hard? Sometimes I'm even already regretting taking up Japanese. I'm an extremely lazy bum. But the good side is that it is rather fun, and it feels meaningful to be doing something ... intellectual? Rather than let my brains become mush. Or maybe I should go and do my diploma in music? But I can't even play the stupid Fantasie Impromptu properly! Waah ... my fingers are all atrophied. It's so hard to relearn pieces. :( I need some motivation and inspiration to work hard. What can a Master's do for me? I'm afraid that it'll be too difficult and I'll lose interest mid-way and it'll become a waste. Is there anything interesting left to do?

Damn, I need to send in my CV soon. I need to start work on the stupid quiz soon. Damn, so many things yet to be done. It's so depressing just to think about it. And I end up doing all the things which I should not be doing instead of the things which I should be doing. :( Arrgh.

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Bali photos are not ready yet because I misplaced the discount voucher for the development of the prints back at the shop where I bought the rolls of film. No, I don't believe in digital cameras ... yet. Maybe I should, but I like my old auto non-digital one very much. Damn, I really can't find the discount voucher, I hope I haven't mistakenly thrown it away. :( Bad news comes in a roll. *sigh* I must also remember to develop extra photos for V from my ROM. Damn, that's another procastinated job waiting to be done.

TO self: Get your butt off and stop procastinating. I need to start planning!! Holidays are going to be over soon! When am I going to finish that stupid quiz?

Self: Okie, after today, I shall do (in order)
Saturday:
finish setting the astro questions for quiz
proof read CV and send it off
go swimming with hubby
revise katakana
go for japanese class
(at least I've finished all my japanese hw for this week! ^.^)

Hmm, perhaps better not be too ambitious. :)

I managed to do the push up in Chaturanga Dandasana properly now! Without help from knees! Yay me!! Only about two times each ... but it's definitely a small step towards doing handstand without assistance!! heh heh :)

Whooppee :)

*****

Wikipedia

This is jolly interesting. Check it out here.

Some interesting proverbs:

"Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes straight to the bone."

"Doubt is the beginning, not the end, of wisdom."

"Familiarity breeds contempt."

Hmm .. so much more stuffs to read, another day ... it's a beautiful day today, and I'm going shopping! yay! heh heh

*****

Extracted ...

One of the great things about Teach for America teachers is their creativity. Ms. Gerchman was not satisfied simply writing referrals to send students to the office when they misbehaved...no. She decided to write the best referrals possible. These referrals stand as a testiment to the mind-blowingly stupid behaviors that middle-school teachers face each and every day. I wanted to share them as a sort of 21 referral salute to her leaving.

Ms. Gerchman writes,

"Student achievement is a beautiful thing. But so is teacher tenacity in the face of some truly ridiculous stunts. The following are actual discipline referrals I’ve written for my charming students.

September 11, 2002: “Literally rolling on floor during class mural-making session.”

November 8, 2002: “In the middle of another student’s turn at reading, he burst out in song: ‘I like big butts and I cannot lie …’”

November 13, 2002: “Insulted a classmate by calling her a dwarf.”

November 14, 2002: “Will not stay in seat, will not pay attention, despite my numerous, high-decibel entreaties for him to do so.”

January 13, 2003: “Simply does not understand concept of not talking while teacher is doing same. Maintains, ‘didn’t do nothing’ and ‘why do you always have to write people up?’ and ‘how much you gotta write?’”

January 22, 2003: “I have told the whole class to be quiet. I have told him to be quiet. I have said, ‘This is your last warning.’ Still, the boy speaks.”

January 27, 2003: “When I gave her the attached referral and was talking to her about completing her classwork in the Student Management Room, she continued to make smart retorts until I began to raise my voice. Then she said, ‘Don’t you be raising your voice at me.’”

February 7, 2003: “Came over to me while I was writing another student up and asked why I was doing so. I said it was none of her business and she had to get back to work. She said, ‘It’s a free country.’”

February 23, 2003: “Stuck middle finger up at me repeatedly throughout class period. When I privately asked her why, she replied, ‘Shut up.’”

March 4, 2003: “Brought no paper to class and claimed this was a good reason not to take required notes.”

March 10, 2003: “Told to pull his pants (around his knees) up, he insisted on blowing a salute through a rolled-up paper horn first.”

April 11, 2003: “Combing a student’s hair instead of looking at book. I said, ‘This is not a beauty parlor; put the brush away,’ and she said, ‘I ain’t got a brush.’”

May 8, 2003: “Raised hand and, when called on, said, ‘I hate this class.’”

May 12, 2003: “Playing at another teacher’s door when sent to sharpen pencil, then insulting her while I write this (‘It’s not my fault her ears are stuffed with mashed potatoes’). Earlier in period, told me I needed to take a bath!”

October 22, 2003: “Talking incessantly, throwing bits of paper, getting out of seat, and mysteriously ‘falling out of desk’ not one but three times.”

October 30, 2003: “Will not raise hand. When I yelled at him, he made a big show of wiping saliva off his forehead and said, ‘I already took a shower.’”

December 1, 2003: “I asked the class to list our mandatory school supplies. He raised his hand and said, ‘Weed.’”

December 12, 2003: “Typically requires 3-5 requests before following directions, such as ‘sit down’ or ‘come here.’”

February 11. 2004: “Sprayed extremely potent cologne in middle of class, aggravating several students’ allergies.”

March 4, 2004: “Absolutely refuses to accept even minimum responsibility for any action.”

March 15, 2004: “Will not stop making cruel comments to another student about that student’s late father. Given a stern and clear warning not to discuss this, he said, ‘I hate it when it’s raining; the tombstones get wet.’”

Heh .. that was rather funny ... :)

Well, after reading that, I think sometimes I am extremely fortunate here. In Singapore, students may misbehave, but they still aren't so bad ... yet. Thank goodness for that. When the kids misbehave, telling them off usually help. I've never send them off to the Principal before yet. Somehow we handle them ourselves, I doubt it is the culture to send every disciplinary case up. Perhaps we'll discuss the student with the disciplinary committee later, but we don't have the habit to write referrals and send them off.

I do get disruptive students in my class, especially in my Normal Acad class. With 45 of them squeezed in a cramped classroom and half of them not interested in learning, it can get very demoralising to teach. It was really like a zoo and complains to decrease the class size fell on deaf ears. I was simply told that it's really not too bad, other NA students are worse than them. Period. The students were not motivated and not interested. One wonders why they are there. I guess perhaps it wasn't too bad after all ... like it could have been worst right? We shall always look at the bright sides of things. Oh well .... anyway, the good news is that after 1 1/2 years with them, I think they do like me somewhat ... heh ... which means they really tried to do my work. Or perhaps they just like the sweets I gave them. *LOL*

It's really not too bad. Teaching itself and dealing with the kids is fun and challenging. It's all the bloody admin work and useless meetings and 'shows' you have to put up which is draining. There is a basic lack of trust in our culture. And it goes right from the top all the way down to the bottom. *sigh*

Yay! Hammie finally writes ... after a long long break. But since he doesn't have a comments page, here is my comment to his latest :To Hammie, perhaps you might want to think of getting a non-state-of-the-art-ancient-but-has-proved-extremely-useful-all-over-the-centuries electric FAN! :) Place it on your desk or floor and blow the cobwebs of smouldering air away.

Extracted ....

Standing on Your Own Two Hands

When I was first learning to do Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand) years ago, my kind but honest teacher observed, "You don't really want to get up there very badly, do you?" She couldn't help but notice that my baby kicks propelled my feet barely a foot off the ground. Once she helped me into the pose, I discovered I actually didn't mind being up there; in fact, I really liked building my strength and learning to balance lightly in a new relationship with gravity. But I still feared that if I kicked up too high, I'd bang my head against the wall, which I certainly did mind.

Looking around in my yoga classes, I see plenty of other students showing some degree of Handstand-phobia. Excepting the former gymnasts and a minority of athletically gifted daredevils, many of us seem to react with a certain amount of reluctance when a teacher blithely announces, "OK, Handstand, everybody." The same students who spring into standing poses and can't wait to do complicated twists suddenly start fussing with their clothes, retying their hair, or discover an urgent need to run to the bathroom. My friend Margie (I've changed the name to protect her dignity) even confessed to me that she'd walked out of a private lesson when her teacher announced it was time to work on Handstand without the benefit of a supporting wall. "I don't have any problem doing Headstand or even Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance)," she says, "but for some reason the idea of supporting all my weight on my own little hands made me panic."

Handstand is not a particularly difficult pose physically, although it does require a certain level of flexibility and strength. Instead, the real challenge of Handstand for many students is working on the necessary physical skills in a calm, focused manner while confronting the primal human fear of falling. For a beginning inverter the seemingly simple act of kicking the legs up to a supporting wall can be frightening. Even for more advanced Handstanders, going to a next level with the pose—say, leaping up with both legs at once or balancing in the center of the room—presents challenges that call up the fear factor.

... continue at Yoga Journal here.

I need more practise .. practise ... practise!!! :)

Okie ... I've calmed down now. Watched Harry Potter last night. Was quite a nice movie, except that it's not so exciting since I knew that SB was good and RL was a werewolf all along. No surprises. The dementors weren't quite scary, but reminded me of the frighteners. Maybe the mood just wasn't there. Or maybe simply I'm more jaded now and didn't find such kiddy movies exciting anymore. One's life moves in stages. When I read Harry Potter, it reminded me of reading those books by Enid Blyton when I was young. Books such as 'The Naughtest Girl in the School' and others which I can't remember now. Harry Potter is simply a story about the adventures of boys and girls in a boarding school where their adventures include magic. It also adds in the age-old tired theme of good vs evil where at the end of the day good wins over evil. Boring. The stories just move from one adventure after another, like a rojak trying to put in all the things which gives cheap thrills together and so that it can sell to audiences. Perhaps I'm just not in the best mood for fantasy stories right now. Or I've read too many of such similiar types which are so much better that HP doesn't give me a kick anymore. Some say the third story is dark? Dark? Give me Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman books anytime. From Dragonlance to Seventh Gate to Darksword to the latest Sovereign Stone Trilogy ... now those are dark. Spine chilling dark. Damn, I'm still waiting for the third book of Sovereign Stone Trilogy .... huh? amazon is selling it already? How come I don't see it at Kino??? Waaah. ...

Okie, if you really want a dark and gloomy book, read George Orwell 1984. Now ... that is the most depressing book I've read! It really gave me chills down my spine. heh .. it really felt like the dementors sucking happiness out of me. :P There's just a complete feeling of hopelessness after reading it. It's really depressing. Not recommended to read if you are someone who gets affected easily. I read it about three of four years ago, quite possibly a mistake actually. I don't think I'll ever read it again.

Read George Orwell 1984 here.

Ohhh .... I'm so mad! I just cycled down to JTC to visit a friend and parked my bicycle at the railings by the side of the building and guess what? Those bloody idiots padlocked my bicycle. Singapore is so bloody freaking f***ed up. I hate the people in this country. Absolutely unfriendly - bicycle unfriendly too. It's not as if I was blocking anything. Damn them all.

And so hot today.

I missed bali.

See, that's the good thing about having lots of money. If one has a lot of money, one can damn the world to hell and do whatever one likes to do.

*sniff*

Starchart?

Astrolabe

Rising Sign is in 12 Degrees Aquarius
You like new ideas and concepts, but you prefer to discover them by yourself -- it is not easy for others to convert you to anything. You form your own opinions, but once you do form them, you then want to convince everyone else that they are correct. Try to be more tolerant of the opinions of others. You have a deep and abiding interest in science, mathematics, and the great social problems of the day. Very sympathetic toward the downtrodden, equality is your battle cry! You demand that those in authority be fair to all. You are an intellectual -- emotions and emotional people are difficult for you to understand. You are known for being calm, cool, detached and objective.

Sun is in 22 Degrees Taurus.
You are known for being patient, slow moving and careful -- you love to prolong and savor enjoyable times. You appreciate and need comfort, ease and warm surroundings. Be careful of a tendency to become placid and self-satisfied and to overeat (especially sweets). You require strenuous situations in order to grow and mature properly, even though you try to avoid them. Affectionate, even-tempered and slow to anger -- when you do become emotionally upset, you are also slow to forgive and time must pass before your calm returns. You demand real results from any situation -- abstractions are very difficult for you to comprehend. Very artistic, your hands love to mold and shape things. You portray an earthy, physical sexiness that others find quite seductive.

Moon is in 06 Degrees Scorpio.
Your feelings are very intense, never superficial. You tend to be either very angry or very sad or completely and totally happy. Your moods are deep, extreme and not always completely understood by yourself or by those with whom you have to deal. Emotionally, you tend to prefer to live at the cutting edge of life, pushing your reactions to the ultimate extremes, even if the results are dangerous or upsetting. You are easily jealous and very suspicious -- you require a great deal of emotional reassurance. A good detective, you are very curious about deep and mysterious things, especially human nature and motivations. Be careful not to be ruthless, tactless or too overly frank or you will meet with much resistance from others.

Mercury is in 03 Degrees Gemini.
Your mind is active, quick and agile. You are very restless and you get bored easily. Unless you receive constant mental stimulation, you become extremely nervous and begin to act in an unstable manner. You are probably a good student because of your natural inquisitiveness. You also love to travel. Your learning tends to be superficial, though, because you have a relatively short attention span. Try to develop the mental discipline to finish what you start. Also, you tend to talk on at times seemingly just to fill space -- make sure that your conversation has some substance to it or others will start avoiding you.

Venus is in 12 Degrees Taurus.
You are known to be a warm and affectionate person, and you tend to form long- lasting attachments. The reverse of this is that you can also be quite possessive once you have made a commitment. The beauty, luxury and comfort of your surroundings are important to you and you will devote much time and energy to making your home just right. Beware of your tendency toward self-indulgence, especially with respect to eating incorrectly. You also need outside stimuli to get you in gear When things come too easily for you, you can be lazy and indolent.

Mars is in 27 Degrees Cancer.
Your moods are very important to your overall well-being. You are confident and self-assertive when you are feeling upbeat, and you are retiring, irritable and grumpy when you get depressed about anything. Very sensitive, you wear your heart on your sleeve. You are easily angered whenever you think someone has slighted you. It is best for you to show your anger immediately and let it all out, rather than to try to hold it in or to hold grudges for a long time. You're extremely loyal and defensive of your family, neighborhood, community and culture.

Jupiter is in 11 Degrees Taurus.
Growth only occurs for you after you have found a stable lifestyle and a dependable, protective and secure environment. You are at your best when those around you provide you with a great deal of affection and support. When you feel insecure or threatened, you tend to become possessive and grasping and self- indulgent. You are an inveterate collector with an expensive preference for all the good things that life has to offer.

Saturn is in 27 Degrees Cancer.
The most important issue for you is emotional security. You have a deep and gnawing fear that those on whom you depend for emotional support will prove to be unreliable in the long run. When you are unloved and insecure, you distrust others and tend to feel isolated and lonely. Very cool, detached and objective, you can be counted on -- in situations that are inherently stressful or full of tension -- not to lose your self- control. That is a great and welcome gift at such times.

Uranus is in 04 Degrees Scorpio.
You, and your peer group, demand to confront life at its deepest and most meaningful levels. Very compulsive and obsessive in your approach to everything, you will avoid anything that is casual or superficial, especially when it comes to relationships. You will seek out and explore new methods of healing as well as different ways to deal with deep-seated emotional problems.

Neptune is in 13 Degrees Sagittarius.
You, and your entire generation, are heavily involved in investigating and idealizing foreign and exotic intellectual systems and religious philosophies. The most extreme ideals will be pursued with gusto. You will be at the forefront of humanitarian attempts to improve the lot of those who are in need of assistance. You will be comfortable with the concept of the "global village."

Pluto is in 09 Degrees Libra.
For your entire generation, this is a time of radical changes in society's attitude toward marriage and interpersonal relationships. There is a general fear and awe at the power inherent in making emotional or contractual commitments -- they will not be entered into lightly.

N. Node is in 12 Degrees Scorpio.
You have a special aptitude for working by yourself, or with a like-minded group of dedicated individuals. Once you've committed yourself to a person or group or project, your loyalty and devotion are total until the group's goals have been realized. Not at all gregarious by nature, you're uncomfortable around strangers, greatly preferring to be in known and familiar situations. Others may regard you as shy or eccentric, but those who know you well are aware of the intense loyalty that you have to your friends.

Interesting, interesting. heh heh .. I definitely have a very short attention span. heh ... :)

The strange and somewhat funny stuffs Min sent me ....

Was looking at the urls she icqed me ... darn funny. Loved the penguin one. Remembered when I frist recieved it, was playing a long long time .. haha.
Click here to see penguin.

This one quite scary. Don't quite understand what it is exactly... scary music though ...
Click here

Something confusing? Click here.

Grouses

I absolutely hate it when people asked me what it is that my husband does.

I mean if you are a close friend then it is okie to ask ... but if I consider you an acquaintance or simply a colleague then it's rather wierd to ask isn't it? This is a rather personal question, it's like asking how much is your pay or like ... I dunno ... such questions feels oki with friends, but not if I don't consider you one. humf.

For invariably they would say ... (in a false voice) oh, then you don't need to work anymore! You can stay at home and be a tai-tai ... like your husband is earning lots of money can support you ... blah blah blah. Or like today, then your husband should have a car right? blah blah blah.

I feel so ... insulted? Nah ... amused. snigger ... how small-minded can people get?

My husband is not earning a lot of money, and he is working horrible long hours. It is unfair if I do not help him or contribute anything. Loving someone means sharing the burden (if possible).

Maybe next time I should simply say, oh ... he digs shit out of people's asses ... or ... it's none of your bloody freaking business ... or hey look! A flying pig just flew by .... how? Damnit.

Of course I can quit my job right now and let him support me. If I want to, I would right? I don't need any suggestion from you, whatever your suggestions mean. But I don't want to. I may grumble and complain about my work. Work sucks sometimes .. doesn't it all happen to everyone some days? Somedays may be good, somedays may be bad. I like what I'm doing sometimes, sometimes I really wish I don't have to work. Don't we all? It's all part and parcel of life. I hate it when they hold all those useless and inefficient meetings and waste everyone's time and end up doing nothing at all. I could have spent my time much better. But doesn't that happen to everyone?

I hate it when people tell me, hey .. you can quit your job and let your husband support you. I absolutely hate it! I feel more independent being able to earn my own income. I can spend my money on the things I want to buy. I don't like to use my husband's money to buy things for myself. I hate it when people tell me .. oh, get your husband to buy you this and that etc. I don't understand why people can be so ... so ... what's that word for it? Urrgh. Perhaps it's just a normal reaction for people to say when I complain sometimes that I wish I could buy some expensive stuffs but I'm not buying because they're too expensive ... then their normal flippant reply would be .. oh, get your husband to buy for you lah! Ha .. I guess I asked for that. OKie, so cannot 'complain' huh ... nevermind, I shall complain in my blog then. This is my blog ... so bugger off. *growl*

I don't think I'm a career-minded woman. I'm happy to work hard for half a day, go back and clean the house, spend time for myself and take care of hubby. Nope, don't want any kids. I like to have some order in my life. Perhaps a bit monotonous, but it feels safe because I'll know what to expect. Excitment would come in the things I can learn for myself, the time I spent with hubby and the places we can look forward to go during holidays. See, if there's no monotony and boredom then there's no excitment and adventure. Just like if you've never experience depression, you would not appreciate happiness. Or like if you always eat shark's fin and abalone and expensive rich food everyday, then they no longer taste special. Life is all about living the everydays and experiencing the once in a while excitement. That's my philo.

:)

May the next person who ask me what my husband does and follows up with ... hey, then you don't need to work anymore blah rot in hell.

:)

WooHOoooo ... yahoo mail gave me 100MB of space! waaah ... :) :) heh heh heh ...

Gee, I hope they aren't doing the same thingy about the ad like the Gmail. hmmm ....

*****

The worst ever most uncoolest wierd 'pick up(??)' line

Scene
Me and colleague chatting in a corner during tea-break.

Nerdy guy in pyjamas-stripped shirt and BROWN pants approached.

Guy: err, sorry, but I can't help wondering about your ring you are wearing on your left hand. What does it signify? Does it mean like you are engaged or something? Like wearing rings on right hand or left hand which one does it signify something ... mumble mumble ...

Voice trails off as we stared at him incredulously.

After a pause ...

colleague: I supposed it's up to each individual what they like to wear ...

me: yeah, like it really depends on people, sometimes it may not signify anything or sometimes it may? (What the blazers are you asking about? Are you asking ME?? Or in general?? Wierdo)

guy: Oh eh ... thanks ... *slinks off*

Me and colleague looked at each other and burst out laughing. Colleague said that was the wierdest question ever, if he wanted to know, he should asked someone he knew, unless that was a pick-up line, if so, it's the most stupid way of doing so. I totally agree. *LOL*

*****

And now I'm on a roll ... quoting someone: When I'm on a roll, I'm on a roll ... *LOL*

I really really dislike the male species in my profession. They come across as two types.

Type One - nerdy unconfident wierdos who could only dare to deal with kids, probably secretly thinking of being paedophiles in their free time. Have problems getting along with their peers, whether men or women. Usually get bullied by the kids as well. No girlfriends, no life. Case: Him. Came to me to complain about my form class. Imagine whiny complainy high-pitched voice: Your kids ate sweets in my class and threw the wrappers at me!! *whine whine* Me: Scold them and make them behave and tell them to apologise! Him: But if I scold them, they'll say I very fierce and wait they cry how? (this is a real case! Serious!) Me: HUH?? Then what do you want me to do? Him: I just want to tell you *whine whine*. Female colleague overheard and said annoyingly: You have to be firm with them else they won't respect you. GO and scold them. Him: *whines all the way* ... in the end I had to speak to the kids involved and told them to apologise to said colleague. What a dodo!

Type Two - nerdy confident boot-lickers high-flyers-wannabe who also have no life spending all the time with kids and always planning for some stupid thingy last minute and doing everything last minute and totally unorganised. Probably also thinking of being a P in free time. Usually no gfs as well.

I can't stand such people. No intelligence, no personality ... irritating but sometimes rather amusing ... hahaha.

Okie to be fair, there are some nice ones who are really normal people. Rare. Oh well ...

*****

Today Wen told me she bought 4 pairs of Tod shoes and sandals. FOUR?!?!?!! Hello! Didn't you like just bought 2 pairs of Prada shoes in Bali? FOUR?!?! There is a sale going on at Tod. Shoes about 40% discount. WOw ... are the shoes really that good? Maybe I should go and see them tomorrow. heh heh ...

She's crazy, no wonder Bis is ignoring her when she got him back. hahaha ... guess he's rather annoyed that he was being left behind while she went to enjoy herself and also he had a very fun playmate at her friend's place. Ahhh ... so Bis is showing his temper .. tsk tsk. heh heh.

*****

I think I should save my money to buy stuffs for my new house. Like toys! Erm .. I mean kitchenware stuffs. Got my eye on pots and pans and plates and cutlery and wok (the cast iron one) and there are so many things to buy for the kitchen! heh heh. I love cooking! And I shall cook everyday (if possible)! For my hubby and myself. :) :) Simple dishes like steam fish, chicken, prawns etc etc ... easy ... must learn more difficult stuffs from parents soon ... darn, must get all their secret recipes and write them down one day!! :) :)

Ack! I've put on 1 kg!!! Waaah .... and I'm feeling very very bloated now. Damn, shouldn't have eaten so much today ... okie, gotta eat less and exercise more from now onwards. ack ack.

Doh!



Utinam barbari spatium proprium tuum invadant!

"May barbarians invade your personal space!"
You are highly confrontational and possibly in a bad mood. You would have sworn in this quiz, if I had made it an option.

Which Weird Latin Phrase Are You? brought to you by Quizilla

*****



Athena
?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ?? brought to you by Quizilla

Should I go?

Singapore International Piano Festival 2004
1 July IDIL BIRET
plays Bach-Kempff, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Ligeti & Stravinsky

2 July RONALD SMITH
plays Beethoven, Alkan, Chopin & Liszt

3 July GYÖRGY SANDOR
plays Bach, Beethoven, Schumann & Bartok

4 July PAUL BADURA-SKODA
plays Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert & Martin

I wonder if Xel's back by then. Maybe she'll want to go ... hmm ... haven't been to a piano festival for a long long time.

Or perhaps this ...
Gil Shaham Plays Tchaikovsky (SSO Gala Concert)

Lan Shui conductor
Gil Shaham violin

ROSSINI Overture to Semiramide
CHEN GANG/HE ZHAOHAO Butterfly Lovers Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35

Celebrated young American violin virtuoso Gil Shaham makes his Singapore debut with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in two best-loved violin concertos. Shaham has been championing the Butterfly Lovers Concerto in the USA for some time and it is the perfect foil for the Romantic effusions of Tchaikovsky’s evergreen Violin Concerto in this East meets West encounter.
Lovers of the violin, don’t miss this treat!

Tickets are so damn expensive ... and seeing how long they have been on sale, the good seats are probably sold out. Oh wait ... SSO and Lan Shui?! Waah ... Maybe not a good idea to go after all. The last time I heard SSO, they suck. Really. heh.

I'd like to see Gill Shaham play though. :( Dunno why nowadays people are so 'cultured'. ha... I missed the last time me and friends went to KLCC to listen to Ashkenazy and London Phil. Now, that concert hall is so much nicer than the durians here, and tickets are much cheaper. And London Phil is good! Unlike SSO. bah.

Hmm?




You have a mysterious kiss. Your partner never knows what you're going to come up with next; this creates great excitement and arousal never knowing what to expect. And it's sure to end in a kiss as great as your mystery.

What kind of kiss are you? brought to you by Quizilla



You're not so much depressed as you're totally freaking insane. Kati would be friends with you because she's just like you. You could stay over her house and make pasta and biscuits at 4am. You're also astoundingly similar to Invader Zim's GIR. Viva la little robots wearing green dog suits! Let's make biscuits!

How Depressed are You? brought to you by Quizilla

Wow! Freaking strange quizes one finds on the net! *LOL*

The weather in Singapore is ridiculously hot! And HUMID! See, the difference between here and Bali is that in Bali, the humidity level is only about 50% so even if the sun is shining majestically in the sky, you don't sweat so much like a pig. Damn the weather! The best place to be in right now is in my room with the air-con full blast.

I woke up at 6am today and the whole sky is still dark. I woke up feeling damn hot and sweaty. This will never happen in Bali! By 6am, the sky is already light. Birds will be chirping away and you wake up feeling cool and refreshed! Even without the air-con. Then all you need to do is start yoga in the midst of the clean fresh air and afterwards jump straight into the swimming pool. That's life... *sigh*

*****

And my room looks like a tornedo has just struck it. :( Ack. Maybe I should go back to sleep. :P

Memories from Bali

In the midst of unpacking, but I shall write at the same time.

On the plane ...
Caught 50 First Dates on the flight to Bali. Wow! Drew Barrymore is really cute! She is my favourite actress. Ever since I first saw her in ET. :P Gosh, she's really good! When she laughs, I laughed too; when she cries, I cried too. Okie, that's a bit exaggerating. But she's good. I've always like her :) and no I am not a lesbian. :P The movie is very good too. So humourous, so quirky. That's what true love is all about. Waking up every morning and falling in love with the guy you chose to spend your entire life with. Beautiful movie! The two ladies sitting next to me kept glancing at me when I kept chuckling out loud during the funny bits.

Plane landed with a bump. The two ladies shrieked and clutched each other fearfully. Hello! Isn't it like normal for planes to land with a bump? Err ... apparently not, that's what Wen told me later. Ohh ... but I was always surprised when planes landed smoothly. heh heh.

Retrograde happenings ...
My friend Wen told me that she had to 'deposit' her dog Biscult at her friend's place for the trip. The friend also had a greyhound, so Biscult was happy to have someone to play with. When Wen left the place, Bis was shocked to see her go off without him. He stood at the gate with puzzled look. Is this a new game? Errr ... hello, aren't you forgetting something important? Hey, you're joking aren't you? *whines whines*... Later that day, the friend called her telling her that when her husband came home and gate was opened, Bis ran out sniffing around looking for her. They had a hard time chasing him after that. Poor Biscuit.

It was hard for me to leave my hubby behind as well ... but well, girl's only holiday. :P And no, we are not. heh heh.

At Alila Manggis ...

Images
looming statues. dusty roads. quirky intricate alleyways. padi fields. deep blue sea. strong white waves. black pebbled beach. clear blue skies. beautiful cotton clouds. coconut groves. Jabba the huts. cool swimming pool. fresh colourful flowers. twinkling diamond stars. flying bats skirting my vision. lovely, peace, beauty.

Music
crashing waves never stopping, never tiring. beautiful wooden sound made by the traditonal instruments. chants by the village priest. chitter-chatter by the people. tinkling sound when the waves ran out from the pebbles. buzz of the bees. wind swinging the coconut trees. singing birds in the morning. serene, joy, unlimited.

In the morning, the hotel head chef with an egg shaped head (Australian, name Struat I think, and he's a damn excellent chef .. I must remember!) brought us to the market. Local market, with all the interesting spices and rich scent of live animals. The kind of market which existed in Singapore 30 years back. Full of life, sounds of people bargaining, sounds of chickens and ducks and pigs and humans. Smell of spices mixed with cowdung and sweat. Sweet pungent smells of flowers and vegetables. Full of colour and vibrancy. Then we went to the organic garden. Smell the fresh clean air, see the wonderful scenery and learn a few tibbits about gardening.

On the way there, we stopped to see the head priest of the village performing a ceremony for the naming of a child. Very religious and traditional people. Besides cows, cats are also highly revered. If you ever run over a cat, better pick it up and give it a decent ceremonial burial, else you're be on the next flight out of the country! But if you ran over a poor sod, you most likely can get away with it. Poor sod! You have to pay 50 million rupiahs if you want to join the government's police. That takes about 10 years for them to earn back. Not very surprising if they are corrupt huh. But Bali is a safe place. Each village has their own protective force call the gangral (not very sure about the spelling though). Life is cheap. If you commit a crime, their law is death. Government rice (GM) for the people, without nutrients, cheap but not so cheap. Bali rice only for export. Rich in nutrients, smells and taste good.

In the afternoon, we had the cooking class and we cooked our own lunch! Delicious nasi goreng, indonesian fried rice. Basically normal chinese fried rice with belachan. yum yum. And lots of other stuffs too like chicken, fish, pork, dessert. The dessert with the black and red rice pudding rocks! The dessert with the homemade ice-cream is so mouth-watering delicious .. drool! I must go back again!!! The food is fantastic! Must make sure the head chef is still there though. :)

Every meal there is wonderful. Delicious. Mouth-watering. I must have put on at least an inch! Doing yoga in the morning didn't help when immediately we fill ourselves with the morning breakfast. Ahh, bliss, sunshine, joy, happiness. I must go back again! :)

At Alila Ubud ...

Up in the mountains so high ... err, maybe not so high. With the river running in the valley, the sound of rushing water fills my ears. Crickets cricking in the night, stars so bright and beautiful. Damn I've forgotten most of my astro, but hey, I can still recognise Scopio and Sagitatius and was that the summer triangle? Sadly quite forgotten. The infinity pool. Looking down into the valley. So beautiful. Words can't describe it. You must be there. :) I must return soon.

Damn, why does one's mosquito bite itches when one thinks of it? *scratches hard*

We had an open concept bathroom. Lovely blue and grey stone flooring in the outdoor bath. Lots of teak wood. Lots of trees and flying things. Cold breeze at night, nice warm sun. cloudless day, oh blue blue sky. The food isn't as good as manggis but it'll pass. I will go back for the scenery and peace up in the mountains. The swimming pool is ... ohhh ... beautiful. I swam. I wish my hubby was with me. I'm afraid of the deep pool at the end where the water seems to fall off at the edge of the world. But I try. Only by the side. Where I can cling on the edge when I had a panic attack looking into the deep dark pool. Hey, it's 2.3 m deep at the end okie. Scary! Seeing the floor tapering away deep down. But the view at the end of the world is worth a million swims there. heh. I must bring my hubby there one day! :)

Shopping ... at the town centre. Lots of shops. Art gallery, batik shop, ceremic shop, wood carving etc etc etc. Prada! Waah ... spent 3 hours walking around looking for the shop we glimpsed at when we were driven to the art gallery. Wen got 1 artwork, many batik stuffs like cushion covers etc, 2 pairs of Prada shoes and 1 Prada bag. Wah. Me - got a few nice ceremic stuffs for my new house ... and perhaps I sould have gotten the Prada shoes after all. $90 for a full leather very very slightly defective Prada shoes ... sniff sniff. Ack.

Spa ... the ultimate indulgence. It comes with the package. A floral footbath. Wow, someone to wash and scrub my feet .. with table salt? I feel like a fish my mother cleans with salt. A bali coffee scrub... mmmm .. I smell .. delicious, like coffee. heh heh. A lavender body bath. Err .. quite nice to have someone sponging me. But cold. Carrot rub down. I knew it! Carrots are always good for lots of things! I love carrots! A soak in the tub with lots of red flowers. Huh .. only one tub for the two of us? Really! Err, Wen, it looks like there's only one tub. She went to look. Oh yeah. HAHAHA. I think we are meant to soak together! This package is really for honeymooners. HAHAHA. Wrong person to go with. Right ... we are both as blind as bats with glasses off. I supposed guys would compare their member, but girls? Do we compare the size of our boobs and tits and butts? *LOL* Don't splash me okie. We felt like geishas. heh heh. And finally the balinese massage. One word: Shoik. :) And no, we aren't. :P

Must go back again! Must swim in the fantastic pool again! Must eat the food at Manggis again! Must go back and shop!! All the woody stuffs! Waah ... Must go! Don't wanna come back ...

:)

Ohhh ... internet connection!

The one back at Alila Manggis was very slow. 56K ... more likely 14.4K only, and allowed 20 minutes of usage only. Here it is rather fast, though I should be out there swimming and baking instead of being an idiotic addict. Okie, short note here ... I'm actually reading the newspapers here, serious! I'll write more when I go home to my computer.

Anyway, it's lovely here in the mountains. So much greenery and beauty. So peaceful and out of the world. So many stars at night and mosqitoes to entertain you since there's no TV in the room. Totally out of the world. Good for the soul. A beautiful place high up in the mountains. I wish I could live with my hubby the two of us alone at the top of the mountains forever. They should not even have internet connection to tempt me. Humf.

... to be continued.

What is Love?

I read somewhere before (see ... now I realised how good it is to blog) ... a long time ago, that love can be defined in many ways. The love the parents have for their children and vice versa, the love a man and woman have for each other; the love a person have for God and vice versa ... etc.

So they ask, is there true love? What is true love?

Let's see: True

1 a : STEADFAST, LOYAL; b : HONEST, JUST; c archaic : TRUTHFUL

2 a (1) : being in accordance with the actual state of affairs (true description)
(2) : conformable to an essential reality
(3) : fully realized or fulfilled (dreams come true)
b : IDEAL, ESSENTIAL
c : being that which is the case rather than what is manifest or assumed (the true dimension of the problem)
d : CONSISTENT (true to character)

3 a : properly so called (true love) (the true faith) (the true stomach of ruminant mammals) etc ...

Love:

1 a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties (maternal love for a child)
(2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers
(3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests
etc ...

Basically, affection for another person. Steadfast. loyal. consistent. Is there such a thing as true love then? True love is something which I know when 50 years down the road, we walk together hand in hand along the beach, looking at the sunset, spending time together, growing old and still having a deep affection for each other. That, is something we want together. It started off with liking, then affection for each other, and one has to continuously feed this affection, let it grow, spending time together and enjoying each other's company, doing things together and laughing together. We aren't always the best person to live with. I know I can be extremely difficult at times. But give a little, take a little, forgive a little and move on together. Both must be willing to take the effort to break down any barriers, be true. He knows my worst tempers, my worst faults. I don't have to be someone else for him, just myself. I love him for who he is and for his affection for me. Love works two ways. It doesn't happen alone. :P

If one party is unwilling to make things work, or if one party's idea of being together is different, then perhaps the affection for each other will slowly starve and people will grow apart. That is all there is to true love. My opinion. As easy as that. Love needs encouragement. It needs communication. It needs all the time to grow and it needs both persons to make it work. :)

And to truely cherish a person, one must look deep within himself/herself first and realised who he/she is. Then can he/she can love and treasure another.

To my hubby: I'll be away for a while. If you are reading this when I'm away, know that I love you ... heh heh ... ;P ... and you'd better be thinking of me everyday too .... *bleah* :) :) :)

And whoever is reading this I don't care if you are having goosebumps. heh heh

Wah .. I actually have Sound of Music: My Favourite Things arranged for piano by Stephen Hough! Waah ... another of the things I must do is to catalog all my cds else I will be in danger of buying something I've already had!

I've already bought books which I actually had!

one day ... one day ...

Procrastination ... not. it is the thrill of doing things at the very last moment.

I will pack my bag tonight. heh heh

I must, actually, not I will.

Inner Beauty

It is made up of kindness, compassion, empathy, thoughtfulness, understanding, caring, trust, courage etc. These are the qualities which cannot be seen physically. These are the qualities which could be inherent in a person but are invisible to the naked eyes. These are the stuffs which make it worthwhile to spend your entire life with the person. These are the stuffs which can only be found if you look at them under the eyes of time, patience and sincerity. Something which you have to discover for yourself. It could be there for you, or it could be completely hidden from your eyes. Who knows? We would all rather be blind, wouldn't we? :)

Skin Deep Beauty

Was looking at Xiaxue's post ... heh heh, yeah I do that sometimes when I'm bored, and the discussion on the Miss Universe thingy. Damn funny, I absolutely agree with her.... Miss Singapore is indeed very ugly! hahaha. No matter how much photoshop XX did still cannot change that fact. She has got no poise, no beauty at all. Hello. She's not even pretty by half! She looks too brash, too harsh and her make-up is awful! Good grief. She looks like a big bad wolf, with big eyes all the more to look at you; big teeth all the better to eat you with! Arrrgh. What a nightmare. *LOL*

More on Miss Universe here.

On the other hand, Miss Paraguay looks really good. Absolutely gorgeous, I quote. She has the poise, the confidence. And there's an air of mystery about her. Hers is a simple beauty. Nothing glaring. quiet. exquisite. dignified. :)

Errm, Miss USA doesn't look very pretty either. Her mouth looks out of place too low down her face. heh heh. Miss Australia doesn't look too bad. She looks like a happy, cheerful girl which nothing can daunt her. Guess it's a good choice for Miss Universe since they do have quite a lot of things to do in the year, I guess. Probably that's why the Supermodels type of beauties can't be bothered to take part in Miss Universe. ha.

*****

In an article in Straits Times on Sunday "Who says looks don't matter?"

SHE is a diploma holder and a business administrator in her late 30s. He is an O-level dropout, a store clerk in his late 40s.

He turned her down after one date as she 'wasn't pretty enough', said Mr Benedict Kumar, owner of the matchmaking agency Lights 2-1. 'She was a little plump, he complained that she wasn't sexy. But it wasn't like he was very handsome himself.'

Such complaints are par for the course, matchmakers say. Four agencies here said looks are 'critically important' for men especially.

It agrees with the results of a Sunday Times poll, which found that six in 10 respondents consider looks to be important in their choice of a life partner. Three in 10 said they wouldn't date someone who isn't good-looking. Average-lookers take a year to hook up, compared with three months for attractive singles, the matchmakers reckon.

With so many fixated on looks, director of D'Match Ho Hoon Choo finds herself taking on the role of beauty consultant too.

'It's 30 per cent looks, 70 per cent packaging,' she said.

One success story is a 36-year-old businesswoman, who had faced constant rejection for 1 1/2 years. 'Her skin was bad, her hair was a mess, her dressing was outdated,' said Mrs Ho. But after a makeover, she hit the romance jackpot.

She added: 'Human beings being human, still look at a person's appearance.'

Mrs Tan-Huang Shuo Mei, director of the government matchmaking agency, the Social Development Unit, said: 'People are very dogmatic. But when they begin dating, they may well be attracted to qualities that have nothing to do with looks.'

Honestly, would you date someone whom you considered not good looking? :) If you say you will, then you must be lying. LOL. :)

Outer beauty is very important. It is the looks which attract attention. The golden ratio, the symmetrical structure of a person's face, which is ascetically pleasing. I've read an article in the Discover magazine once long ago about The Science of Beauty or something. Can't remember what exactly it is, but the gist of it is that beauty lies in Mathematics. OKie, let's not cheem anyone out. Also a beautiful person --> hence symmetrical = healthy --> good genes + intelligence (cos' brains is symmetrical?). So a beautiful person is supposedly a person with healthy good genes and high intelligence. And in the Darwin's World of Natural Selection, we would want to procreate with people with healthy genes right? So all the ugly people will have to crawl into a hole and hide? *evil laughter* ... okie, just kidding. But still, the point is this: outer beauty is indeed useful. It lands you job opportunities, easier for you to find a mate, and all that stuffs. Sad, but true.

And for the rest of the ugly and the not so beautiful people, don't dispair! Confidence and poise is the keyword! Carry yourself well and love thyself. heh heh. Or seriously, if you think you are too ugly, go and get yourself to become very very rich. Because besides beauty, money and power is the next best thing which attracts others. Of course after you get your guy/girl, better keep both eyes open for you'd never know if your next cup of coffee is your last. Then again, if you are really so ugly, perhaps it's just better to do everyone a favour and erase yourself from this world. hahaha.

Okie, I'd better stop before I get flamed. :P

Besides I need to start packing my bags for my trip to Bali tomorrow! And I've not started yet ... nor have I changed money. That's a P personality of you. heh heh.

Disclaimer: The above (on ugly people) is the real rantings of the mentally disturbed other self. I will not take responsibility if anyone finds fault with the words and decides to top himself/herself. It'll be much better though cos' you'd be helping in the decreasing of the world's population which leads to less hunger and less evil in the world.

To xena:

Exactly! Valrhona! When I saw it at $22 a box I was like thinking very hard if I should get it. Now they're selling at $7.40. Think it's a promotion - while stocks last. I got them from Isetan Scotts Supermarket. They are the Easter Eggs Chocolate thingy, one box with them chocolates in yellow and orange, the other box with green and red. They're milk chocolate not dark chocolate unfortunately. The green and red one is called Guanduja Egg with Crispy Wafer, the other is Lemon Ganache Egg. I think the chocolates are expiring soon that's why the offer. But still they were pretty good! Ohhh ... expiring end of this month! waaah ... I need to finish them soon! hahaha.

*****

Wow .. it's amazing ... I wrote in my blog that I missed my friend Lin, and guess what? I got an email from her! Whoohooo! Must be telepathic ... heh heh .. or perhaps she does read my blog?

*****


Here's food for thought. If you are having a bad day, just think: it really doesn't matter, because the BIG picture says it is going to be worse. heh. interesting.

My favourite Stacy Kent's song ... :)

You are there

In the evening
When the kettle's on for tea
An old familiar feeling settles over me
And it's your face I see
And I believe that you are there

In a garden, when I stop to touch a rose
And feel the petals soft and sweet
against my nose
I smile and I suppose that somehow
maybe you are there

When I'm dreaming
And I find myself awake
Without a warning
Then I rub my eyes
And fantaasize
And all at once I realize
It's morning
And my fantasy is fading
like a distant star at dawn
My dearest dream is gone
I often think
There's just one thing to do
Pretend the dream is true
And tell myself that you are there

From Dreamsville

More stray thoughts

Ever since I started seriously blogging I've stopped emailing my friends. Must it always be such that I email them first before they reply to me? I missed them. I missed Lin who is far far away in Kazasthan. Half of me wishes to visit her, but half of me feels that it is impossible for me to go. Hey, Kazasthan is in the middle of nowhere. Some ulu place and the plane tickets are damn expensive! If she's in London though, I really really would love to go and stay with her some time! I know I said that last time, but last time I was still a student, and I didn't have money. Hmmm. Now I got my hubby. Duh .. would I have gone on my own then? Hmmmm. Anyway I wonder how she's doing right now.

I also misses Xel. She told me she's going to be back end of this month. :) Humf, she'd better bring me something nice as a belated birthday present. *bleah* Just kidding okie ... (in case she's reading this, heh) ... but I don't mind if you get me that Charminade CD I was looking for. :P Hmmm... I think I must set up a wish list too ... hahaha ... contradictions :P

I miss P.M. too. We were supposed to meet up last month, but somehow or other, we didn't manage to do so. Every year past I'd be extremely persistent and always manage to get her out, but this year I guess I've slacked. And this year she actually called me up to ask me out but we just couldn't fix a time. :( That means I'll have to work doubly hard to get her out during her birthday. *sigh* She's an extremely elusive person. In this day and age, a person without handphone is almost extinct. Besides she's always either asleep or at work when I call her up. :(

These are the people whom I haven't seen or heard from for a long time now. Every year we drift just a little apart. Will it always be like that? Do I really want that to be?

Ah well ...

Something someone sent to me ...

Eg. 24 H in a D : 24 Hours in a Day
26 L of the A ...
7 D of the W ...
7 W of the W ...
12 S of the Z ...
66 B of the B ...
52 C in a P (WJs) ...
13 S in the USF ...
18 H on a G C ...
39 B of the O T ...
5 T on a F ...
90 D in a R A ...
3 B M (S H T R) ...
32 is the T in D F at which W F ...
15 P in a R T ...
3 W on a T ...
100 C in a R ...
11 P in a F (S) T ...
12 M in a Y ...
13=UFS ...
8 T on a O ...
29 D in F in a L Y ...
27 B in the N T ...
365 D in a Y ...
13 L in a B D ...
52 W in a Y ...
9 L of a C ...
60 M in a H ...
23 P of C in the H B ...
64 S on a C B ...
9 P in S A ...

:)

Stray Thoughts

A friend emailed me this:
The Fullerton Singapore - Chocolate Buffet
Where:The Courtyard (tel: 6877-8129)
When: 8-11pm every Friday and Saturday
Cost: $24+++ (adult); $12+++ (child)
What: Since 2002, chocolate lovers have been indulging in treats such as the chocolate mango yoghurt mousse. The drink station with its premium chocolate-blended drinks is the highlight.

Hmmm, as much as I love chocolates, I think this is seriously an overkill. I mean, how much chocolate can one take anyway? 4 or 5 pieces of chocolates and I already feel more than enough. More than that and I'll definitely feel sick. One scoop of chocolate ice-cream is just nice. Anymore than that is too terrifying to think about! Chocolate buffet? *shudder* And not cheap too. duh.

I've got my Valrhona for $7.40 per box. And to think they were selling it for $22 when it was first introduced! And to think I actually bought it. Arrgh.

*****

I would like to go for horse-riding one day. But Singapore is soo damn humid, it's only good to swat at flies, or better still, do nothing. Damn humid weather.

*****

Writing blogs can be damn boring. I mean, my life can be damn boring. It's like wake up, go to work, come back, do more work, read, sleep. Hmm. Boring.


ha .. sometimes I feel like that too.

*****

I have work to do. I wish I can just enjoy my holidays without thinking of work. I haven't started doing them yet. Guilty. I don't feel like doing it now. Guilty. Damn. And it doesn't help with a dull headache right now.

What I would like to be doing are these:

Practice on the piano. Relearn all those pieces which I like - Chopin's Nocturnes, Fantasie Impromptu, Ballard; and continue practising that bloody Scherzo which I started playing in the beginning of the year. Else my hubby will complain that I keep playing the first few bars only. Irritated the hell out of him! Heheh. But just thinking of the energy required makes me want to sleep first. :P And re-learning old pieces are so much more difficult than learning new pieces! I wonder why!?

Pick up the violin again before I really forget what I've learnt this time! Arrgh. All because stupid teacher at Christofori so damn lousy! Can you believe he didn't know that the G minor has F#! And I had to correct him! That was the last straw! Actually if he didn't upgrade me to Grade 3, I might still stay on cos it was cheap. But he wasn't very motivating anyway. Sigh ...

*****

Wah ... my younger brother is actually changing the lightbulb in my parent's room. This I must see! HAhahaha ... *evil sister*

Ten thousands thundering typhoons ...

and billions of blistering barnacles!

Ohhh ... I love Tin Tin! And Snowy! And Captain Haddock! And Prof Calculus!

Check out Tin Tin here.

Perhaps I should get all the adventures of Tin Tin on VCD too. But movie can be so slow sometimes. Still the comic books are the best. When was the last time I read them? Two years ago? Hmm, maybe I should read them every two years then. heh.

Snowy is a wire haired fox-terrier. :)

*****

And when am I going to learn that we shouldn't do our homework 3 hours before lesson? heh.

*****

Oh wow .. Tin Tin's official webpage is damn impressive!! *eyes big big*

heh heh

Look at all the nice things to buy too! :P

Just came back from the new Jurong East Regional Library. Wow. The place is HUGE. Very NICE! New and nice. And lots of new books! and too many bloody people. What are so many people doing there anyway? If you ask me, I'd say Singapore is getting too crowded. Crazy. The queues are crazy. And we want the population to grow? Anyway, the library is really a nice place now. I shall go there at night when it's less quiet and when all the hype has died down. I drool at all the new books! heh heh. I might even pick up some Terry Prachett's books. At least now they are brand new!

Got some videos - Tin Tin and the Black Island! *lol* And A.C's Evil under the sun. Got this book 'Bible Code 2' hmmmm ... end of the world in 2006. You believe in this stuffs? Who knows?

Anyway, roast chicken wings for dinner ... *drool* :) :) :)

Dogs and Cats

I once thought of getting a dog and a cat when I move into my new house. My dog will have to be an intelligent one, not like those irritating ones which go 'yap yap yappity yap yap' all day. I also don't want a dog which is small and furry - cute, yes, but looks quite stupid and vain.

My friend W's greyhound is actually a good choice. He's smart, doesn't bark a lot, runs fast and is really quite sweet. I baby-sat him once, and it was quite fun, we did tugs of war, ran around the house and he tried to get on the sofa with me. (Friend said he's not allowed on sofa though) The only thing he didn't do was to obey my orders when I tried to get him to do tricks. *humf* My friend said he's too clever to take orders from me. Not even for his favourite snack! *growl* Well, at least he didn't throw up on me like he did with my friend's brother. heh heh. To digress, what happened was that when her brother came home from Aus, her dog took a look at him and threw up all his dinner! Seriously! Honestly, her brother isn't the ugliest looking human in the world, but oh well, who knows what a dog thinks?

Then there's this dog staying at my in-laws' next door. Now, that is the most irritating and annoying little peskie breed of dogs. It's a silly terrier I think, whoops i mean sul..silky terrier, and it thinks it owns the whole neighbourhood. You can hear its high-pitch yelping all day round. Never get tired, that little brute. Runs around in circles barking its head off. I wish it would - bark its head off. Once it was actually out of the house, saw my hubby and started its usual yelping. My hubby stared at it, held out his hands in a grip and started moving in, the stupid dog actually turned and ran, stayed at a distance and started yelping again. *GROWL* I sure feel like squeezing its neck too!

Anyway, coming back to the types of dogs I like, I'd prefer a beagle, like Snoopy. But beagles are considered big dogs, and not allowed in apartments, or so I've heard. :( Hmm, second choice would be a Jack Russell I guess, but JR are so common nowadays, and not all JR's are cute too, as a matter of fact. The starhub one is very cute, just a little shaggy, but definitely cute. I don't like JR's all white with a brown head, looks dumb. heh heh. An italian greyhound like Biscuit might be good, but .... he's legs are really too long! Just like a deer, think we not very keen on that too.

Oh yeah, my friend's dog was actually selected for the UOB mini ad, but they changed their mind at the last minute. Damn.

Mongrols can be quite nice too, actually. And they are usually intelligent. At least they are not interbred and have all those defective genes. Hmm, a beagle will be really nice. :P But taking care of a dog is really time-consuming. I'm not sure if I will have the time. *sigh* Taking care of hubby is already taking up a lot of time too. heh heh.

Now cats, on the other hand, don't really need to be taken care of. I'd like to 'steal' the CAT and keep her for ourselves next time. But she'll not be used to her new surroundings and it'll be cruel to take her away from where she's used to be. *sigh* Unfortunately, she is a really bad mother, all her off-springs are cowards and unfriendly and only make lots of mewing noises when they are hungry, expecting us to feed them and refusing to return the affection. There's two of them left and they hang around the front of the house mewing at the top of their tiny voices when they are hungry and slunking away after they are fed, and getting free lodgings too. humf. Give me my CAT anytime. I miss the CAT. If she's here right now, she'll be having her head on my feet and purring away like anything. And she's one cat who really loves to be hugged too. Will we ever find another cat like her? :(

Learning on the Job - Photoblogging

Everyone is doing it. I shall do it too. heh heh. Here are some reeeaaally cute pics of my friend W's dog. Her dog is called Biscuit. Too intelligent for his own good, I'd think. heh heh

Problems encountered: Damn, can't put all the photos in one post!! Ack! Unless I do it manually? ... nah ... too much trouble. Isn't there an easier way? *rolls eyes*

Oh well ... isn't her dog cute? :)

Next up: When I get my pics of my CAT ... heh heh heh. Now where is my digital camera?

The pup at 8 weeks.

the DOG! So cute!! *sniff sniff*

See my bat's ears? All the better to hear you with. muhahahaha!

You bury me? I shall ignore you ... the sea is beautiful! *humf*

Oh Wise One .... we bow to you. Bow Wow Bow Wow.

Cats and Dogs revisited

Which is cuter? Cats or Dogs?

Cats:
the CAT;
Puss in Boots in Shrek 2. Oohhh ... the big cutie eyes! *melts*

Dogs:
My friend W's greyhound. That is I think it is a greyhound. He is cute because he looks damn intelligent. Description: Think - small deer with bat's ears and rat's tail. *LOL*

Don't know any other cats or dogs. Stray cats are usually not very cute. Overall dogs are cuter. But all cannot win my CAT. :)

Musings

Can words ever wear out?

I read somewhere a long time ago that when kids are small, they get lots of positive encouragement from their parents and loved ones. The first step they took is accompanied by ooohs .. aahhh .. look! he walks! Smiles, hugs, cheers and lots of love glowed from the proud parents. Babies' googoogaga are met with exclaimations of joy and the first moment the baby says mama or papa is even captured on film! Err, not me of course, but I believed I had my fair share from my parents. Though not as much as my brother. *humf* As one grew older, such encouraging praises became less. Parents became extremely critical. Why did you not get 100 for this test? Why only 90? Keep quiet! Don't make so much noise. You're fat. You're ugly. You stupid bloody #&(@&* etc etc. And kids grow up to become just as critical and it became a vicious cycle.

So why not be encouraging? Why not tell your loved ones everyday that you love them? Do the words become meaningless and insincere if such positive reinforcements are said many times? If one feels that they do, then they become so. But perhaps if they are said many times the words do not fade away, instead the feelings for one another becomes stronger. Besides I don't ever want to regret not saying the things I want to say until it is too late. I don't believe words get worn out. It's just like reading. A book. I'll read it again if it's a good book and if I liked it. It's just like writing this blog, my diary. I'll read what I've written now and then to remind myself of my being. These are my memories, my feelings of the days of yesterdays. It helps to make me a better person, to remind myself of the little things that happen in my life. I am self-centered. heh. And it also helps me to improve me English! :)

When I first started teaching, I found it very difficult to give praises and encouragements. Are we always scolding? Are we always so critical? Do we hide the good things from friends and only say things to hurt them or not say anything so that we will seem better than them? Words of praises and encouragements, little things like admiration, how often do we keep them to ourselves, for fear that if we do say them, we would be ridiculed, or accused of flattery, or be brushed off like bread crumbs? How often do we accept compliments with a graceful thank you and a smile and still remain humble? I'm not sure if I do feel good telling people good things about themselves. It doesn't take much to be honest. Sometimes I'm really amazed and impressed by the creativity of my kids. heh heh. Other times, I got carried away and shouted at them at the top of my voice. Lesson learnt: Throwing tantrums may work. But only once. Do not repeat. But seriously, if something is good. Say so. Look for the nice things around you and coax them out with words. heh heh heh, now I sound like I'm fishing for compliments. *grins*

It's amazing how much I have learnt from my kids. I can still remember my first class I taught. And the trials we went through together. They weren't the most 'guai' students around but they were nice and forgiving. Strange, the younger ones are always much nicer than the older ones. Somewhere along the line as they grew up they become different from what they should have been. Must be all the stress and pollution they get. hmm.

Perfection

If you have been following my blog, you'd realise a subtle difference in my blog. Gone are the irritating underlines for the links! Yeeeeaahhhaaaa! And I managed to get a different colour when the mouse hovers above the links!!! Also managed to fix the missing links in the archives. Heh heh ... maybe not a big accomplishment for the experts out there, but seeing that I know peanuts about web stuffs. Ohhh ... I feel so proud of myself! :) Here *pats myself on the back* ... don't worry I won't sprain my arm!

Okie, had some help from:
Lissa Explains
html colours

And took a peek at some highly admirable bloggers too. :)

Ack! Katakana is so damn difficult! Totally crazy! My brain hurts! OUCH!!

:(

More on Books

Murders and Mysteries

Agatha Christie

Ten Little Soldier Boys

Ten little soldier boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were Nine.

Nine little soldier boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were Eight.

Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon;
One said he’d stay there and then there were Seven.

Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in half and then there were Six.

Six little soldier boys playing with a hive;
A bumble bee stung one, and then there were Five.

Five little soldier boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were Four.

Four little soldier boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one then there were Three.

Three little soldier boys walking in a Zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were Two.

Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up, and then there was One.

One little soldier boy left all alone;
He went and hanged himself,

And then there were none.

Frank Green 1869

~ Agatha Christie: And then there were none (1939)

With a simple nursery rhyme like that, she spun an incredible murder story out of it. It is a masterpiece. I love her books! Simple yet efficient. Every book she wrote is like a piece of art. You can see her dedication in each of her books. Her detectives are quirky and amusing. Her murders are done most ingeniously but they are not too incredible to the extent of unbelievable like Sir Authur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Oh, I like Sherlock Holmes too, but AC's just different. :) I first started reading her books 15 years ago, now I'm reading them again and I'll read them again 15 years from now. heh heh.

Her webpage is found at: Agatha Christie Official Webpage

E books:
The Secret Adversary
Mysterious Affair at Styles

Que Sara Sara

When I was just a little girl,
I asked my mother, "What will I be?
Will I be pretty?
Will I be rich?"
Here's what she said to me:

"Que sera, sera,
Whatever will be, will be;
The future's not ours to see.
Que sera, sera,
What will be, will be."

When I was just a child in school,
I asked my teacher, "What will I try?
Should I paint pictures"
Should I sing songs?"
This was her wise reply:

"Que sera, sera,
Whatever will be, will be;
The future's not ours to see.
Que sera, sera,
What will be, will be."

When I grew up and fell in love.
I asked my sweetheart, "What lies ahead?
Will we have rainbows
Day after day?"
Here's what my sweetheart said:

"Que sera, sera,
Whatever will be, will be;
The future's not ours to see.
Que sera, sera,
What will be, will be."

Now I have Children of my own.
They ask their mother, "What will I be?"
Will I be handsome?
Will I be rich?"
I tell them tenderly:

"Que sera, sera,
Whatever will be, will be;
The future's not ours to see.
Que sera, sera,
What will be, will be.
Que Sera, Sera!"

Somehow the tune of this piece is running in my head. Beautiful piece ... wonder who was the original singer? I have it sung by Janet Seidel. :)

Ohhhh .... Me?

WATER OF EARTH. Mommy! Well, you could be. You are good with plants and small creatures such as children. You're very generous and basically great hearted. You probably make mad whack cookies and are good at managing the household; also businesses. You'd make a good tax person, book keeper, gardener, massage therapist, etc. The ever domestic and practical one, you can stretch a penny and make ramen noodles go a long way.

Quiz created by Polly Snodgrass.

*LOL*

I certainly don't want any children at the moment. Arrgh, can't stand those screaming ones. Some idiotic kids were actually screaming in the stairwell the other day and the echo .... Good gawd, sounds like an army of banshees swopping down for an attack! Mad whack cookies? I don't really like baking. Stuff them in the oven and you don't get to see anything - where's the fun? I did cookies once with my friend's secret (and fermented) dough, quite fun but difficult to find people to consume them. I think I gave some to my now-hubby, and he still had them three months later. *LOL* Stretch a penny? Gosh, I'm spending way to much as it is! :)

Darn, I've found my hardcopy of my C.V. ... hey, but you can still keep the donations coming in! :)

*****

Movie: Zatoichi

Caught it last night. Wasn't really something I had wanted to watch. Was planning for Shrek 2 or Harry Potter. Felt like throwing tantrums, really. Was in an irritable mood. Was glad hubby was patient (well, he almost lose it ;P) ... but I'm really really glad he didn't. To hubby: I love you, dearest! :) :)

Interesting movie, lots of blood splurting everywhere. Quite artistic at times - music and all that, somewhat funny too, as in 'haha' funny. Thought the dance at the last part was too much like Riverdance, it definitely looked wierd to have Japanese people in kimonos (YES KINOMOS) and clogs jumping, well, dancing I mean, to the drum beats. And whistles. Wierd. Overall: hubby 6, myself ... 6.5?

:)

*****

I love you, hubby! :)

My life is in a mess.

Or rather, my room is in a mess.

And so is my desk at work.

Arrgh.

And I can't find my bloody C.V.!

I thought I had a copy in my home computer, I remembered deleting the one in the laptop, and guess what? I must have deleted the one in the home computer too! DUH. That's why one shouldn't be spring cleaning too much. ;) Now, all I need to do is look for the hardcopy, which I think I had it somewhere. I remember seeing it the last time I *tidied* my room. So everything is super neat now, I do not know where it is. There are too many stacks of papers around, neat stacks okie! And anything unsightly is hidden in the cupboards. Hmm, I'll have to dig everything out again. *sigh*

And there's still so much work to do! Arrgh

Now if you are reading this, would like to donate $1 to me? See, if 100,000 people were to donate $1 each, then I'll have $100,000! Or if there were 150,000 people who were to donate $1 each, then I'll have $150,000! Then I could buy my dream car - which is the New Beetle, though I'm not sure now if it's still my dream car, since so many people are seen driving around in it. Besides I'm terrible at parking. Perhaps if 200,000 people were to donate $1 each to me, then I could even buy a Mecs S. Sounds like a great idea eh?

That was what I read at Kino the other day I was there. Shessh, this lady (true life story, really!) actually got people to donate money to her, after writing a sob story about how she had overspent her credit limit and couldn't pay her bills. People actually donated money to her!!! And after she had enough money to pay her bills, she wrote a book, got it printed and that leads to more money!! Okie, remind me again why I am looking for my C.V. ... see, if 100,000 of you human beings out there were to give me just a single $1 ... please .... I would not need to start digging out my C.V. now right? :) Hey, I donate a dollar every month to the CDAC fund! And I do have credit bills to pay too!

*LOL*

Email me if you wish to donate $1. :)

Reading other people's blogs ...

There are many different types of blogs one reads. There are those which felt happy, superficial, skirting through the waves, riding on the wind; emotions - happy, anger, honest ... their blogs are breezy, touches on here, now, short. There are those who describe very well their day, events that impacted them, steep with feelings, thoughts; emotions - deep, unyielding, sometimes un-understandable. Then there are those who wrote in dispair, blaming themselves, wallowing, depression; emotions - confused, mixed, unhappy. There are many different styles of writing, each beautiful in their own way, each mysterious and impressive in their own rights. I wouldn't want to critisize or be judgemental. To each his/her own.

But depressed writings affect me still. There's a feeling of dread deep down in my gut when I read them. It reminded me once of how I felt, of nightmares and things unknown which reaches out their fingers around your neck to squeeze. Deep within ourselves, we all have a hidden something kept locked away. If left unchecked, perhaps it will well out and overwhelm our normal selves. Be it the evilness you have, or the cruel streak in you, or simply depression which may cause dispair, desolation and finally destruction.

Once a long time ago, I was also entrapped by such feelings. The feeling of dispair, emptiness, meaningless, doom ... It was overwhelming, and thoughts swirled round and round in my head, while I stared at the ceiling all day or sat on the window ledge feeling listless, moody and useless. There was no one to talk to, nor an outlet like blogging for me. And it went on, tears every night and using up all energy to face another day. I only snapped out of it when my Grandfather passed away, and I realised that my life is in my own hands, and no one can make me happy. I simply decided to do things instead of waste more of my time and life. Took up driving lessons, yoga, violin, called friends whom I've not spoke to for years, kept myself busy with the things I wanted to do to drive the ghosts of misery away. Being happy simply to exist, to be here. Be thankful that I am still young and healthy. Took control of my life of what I want. Instead of spiralling into the deep negative black hole.

And it worked. :) I bubble with joy and happiness almost everyday. Look forward to the day most of the time, though not when I have an extremely busy day. ;P I am happy and am able to share my happiness with people I love. To be happy, one must have the will to want to be happy. Perhaps some people enjoy being unhappy because that is the only thing they know. Or it is a safe choice where they will not be hurt further. Or they do not know that happiness must come from within, not from people around them. You cannot rely your happiness on someone else! You cannot be happy only because there is someone who loves you. To be happy, it must come within the core of your self, and only then can you reach out and love others, which leads to others loving you. It all starts from yourself. Take control of your life. Be mindful of what you really want. And just do it. Do not let external circumstances dictate your life. Change your mindset! If something doesn't turn out the way you want, look for another alternative way perhaps? *arrgh, I sound like a cliche* :P

I knew a person who was somewhat like someone I read on the blog. Well, it happened a long time ago. She was writing suicidal letters to us, focusing on all her faults and emphasising on her unhappiness. Perhaps it might simply be better to end it off. We tried, from being encouraging to being blunt, to make her see that she wasn't the way she saw herself. At the end of it all, I realised that whatever we say didn't matter. She didn't need us to be truthful, she just needed us to be there for her to listen. I don't know how much I had helped, or if I had made it worse. Eventually she grew out of it, and I hope she has found happiness for herself. Even now, I still don't know if she's happy or perhaps she is simply existing. I still regard her as a good friend, and I hope she does too. I can be very blunt and now sometimes I'm afrad of saying the wrong things. So best just keep my mouth shut. No one likes to listen to advice. :)

To that person on the blog, I wish him all the best and hopes that he recognises that he actually has a lot of friends who are concerned about him. No one can help him step out of his own misery. Only if he wants to then will it work.

Wow. I'm impressed with myself. I actually got my bum out of the house to go for yoga. Managed to conquer the blue sticky cloud of inertia which tends to glue the bum on either bed or chair. I am amazed. There's this feeling you get like when you drop your little grub's ss onto the enemy trapped in a small hole and you do 700+ damage. Or when Hobbs manages to surprise Calvin yet again in their daily tussle. Ohh Hoo! Wham! Incredulous look.

And yoga today was fantastic. :) I'm glad I went. Vinyasa style - non stop. First time I dripped (really dripped). Lovely.

On Books

Just pieces of papers,
covered with words,
but a story it tells,
rich beyond imagination.

The books I've read
(or those which I can remember I've read; damn, I really should have kept a record!)

Fantasy

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (since sec 2)
Dragonlance Chronicles
Dragonlance Legends
Darksword Trilogy
Deathgate Cycle
Rose of the Prophet Trilogy (I think I've read this too!)
(I think there was a science fic one too, did I read it?)
Sovereign Stone Trilogy

These are my favourite fantasy books. Loved DC and DL though my hubby told me once their stories were like JRR Tolkien. Well, what do you expect? Tolkien was classic! I still liked their books. Also liked the Deathgate cycle very very much, just that the 7th book was really disappointing. Seemed like a rushed job. :( Was really pissed off. Sovereign Stone Trilogy - err, what happened to the 3rd book? It's not out yet, is it? I've forgotten all about it. Good thing I'm writing this. :)

David Eddings
The Belgariad
The Malloreon
The Elenium
The Tamuli
Belgarath the Sorcerer

They were quite funny in the beginning. But I was sick of his way of writing towards the end. The style, the jokes and even the storyline are all the same! My friend gave me the super thick hard-covered Belgarath the Sorcerer. Did I finish reading that book? I must have, mustn't I? *laughs*

Robert Jordan
The Wheel of Time

Religiously bought (and read) all his books from 1 to 7. After that, there was a long wait for the 8th book, and I got tired of waiting, plus the fact that I was totally confused by the characters he kept introducing plus the most important fact that I've completely forgotten what the blazers the whole story was about, I stopped at Book 7. I doubt I'll ever start reading book 1 again. *lol*

Melanie Rawn
Dragon Prince
Dragon Star
Exiles

Hmm, must have read her books I'm sure, since they are on my brother's bookshelf. Can't remember the story at all. Mustn't have been too impressed with the story that means, since they are STILL on my brother's bookshelf. *laughs*

Terry Goodkind
Wizard's First Rule

Another book on my brother's bookshelf so that means I must have read it. Did I continue to read his other books in the series then? If I really cannot remember, it must be another one of those I'm not impressed with. heh heh

Tad Williams
Memory, Sorrow and Thorn Trilogy

4 books actually not 3, so why called it a trilogy? I've definitely read his books, but another of those which I've no idea what the story is about now.

Lynn Flewelling
Nightrunner Series

A refeshing read from all those thick books. I think she's starting another new series, something to do with some bone doll. Read that bone doll book at borders a couple of years back. Perhaps I'll buy it if the 2nd book in the bone doll series is interesting. Not sure if it's out yet.

J.R.R Tolkien
Lord of the Rings

Well, everyone was so captivated by the movie LOTR that they all went to buy the books. When the first LOTR movie was out, there was this colleague who was even bragging that he immediately went to buy all three books of LOTR for his kids to read. I wanted to snigger. Honestly. Then you hear that everyone was simply buying his books off the shelves and the books actually went out of stock! *snigger again* Sorry. Okie, I honestly truely *cross my heart* felt that the movie was wonderful, really good, the best till words fail to describe it, but I honestly truely *cross my heart* felt that the book was damn boring. I read all three books (Yes! All three books) in just one and a half day plus night just before my 'A' levels. And I can remember it very well, that though the storyline was very interesting and rather thought-provoking(?), the way the book was written was plain boring. Slow moving. That was why I read it through super fast cos' I wanted to know what happened in the end. I think my hubby didn't agree with me on that. But I bet he also skipped through the book quite a bit. *lol* ... okie okie, I also went to buy a hard-covered edition with pictures. But that was because kino was having a 20% discount sale! And I collect books. And my hubby wanted to read it. And ...well .. heh heh heh. I shall buy the dvd too. :) Hell, I may even read the book again! Or watch the movie again!! *LOL*

There are other fantasy books I've read, but I do not have any records of them, so cannot remember what they are. I do not read Terry Pratchett though. A friend in my Uni once recommended me his books cos' they were the funniest books ever. So I did the sensible thing and went to the library to pick up a book by TP. Erm, couldn't get pass the 1st chapter even! I cannot remember why now, but it must have been so bad that I couldn't read beyond the first chapter right? *LOL* whoops, I hope I did not hurt anyone's feelings ... :)

*****

Harry Potter
Didn't feel that they were worth buying so read the books in Borders. How many books were there all together now? The movies are much exciting in fact. Can't wait to catch the next one. Actually prefers Diana Wynne Jones books much much more!

Diana Wynne Jones
See her webpage here.

Loves her Chrestomanci series, and her book Howl's Moving Castle is going to be animated by the producers of Spirited Away etc. Check it out here.

Her writing is simple but there is depth, and it is thought provoking, unlike someone else's. Children's books but in a clean style, no violence, no wrong values taught. :)

Oh, check out Studio Ghibli too. :)

*****

Ever plonk yourself in the children's section in borders or kino or MPH and read children's books? Ever sneak into the children's section in the library casting fugitive glances about you hoping that you don't meet someone you recognise ... like you know ... *LOL*. Ever confiscate their books and finish reading it before returning to them? Okie, that's the ultimatum. *LOL*

*****

Learning Curves

I've learnt that:

If you want something to be done, you have to do it yourself.
Damn those freaking #^(*&$%!

I have to do everything myself again this year. So much for the so-called help!

I really cannot ask them to do it at all! Just look at the lousy stuffs they've given me!

Arrrgh.

Why me ...

*****

On a brighter note:

I'm learning -

To have patience when they ask the most bloody damniest stupidiest questions, especially just when you have explained the same thing twice.

To smile instead of banging your head against the wall (it hurts).

That bribery with sweets may work (so far).

*****

Okie, on a more serious note:

I'm learning -

Japanese with my hubby again. The teacher, Ms N, is so bubbly and funny and full of life, she reminds me of a kindergarten teacher! Gosh, and she can go on like that for 3 hours! I admire her stamina!! I can never do that! Is it because of the small class size? And the fact that the room is air-con? Plus we are really good students you know. *grins*

Word must have gotten around. My hubby had to do another of those 'dig-shit-from-ass' thingy. heh heh heh ... and I thought my work can be awful at times.