back to school

the last time i had a tutorial before today was 7th april.
2 months and 11 days ago.
well. i guess classes are forever classes.
it feels the same i guess.
just that it feels the same as you always started out on first day of school after holidays.
unfamiliar faces. a new tutor.
i was early.
the teacher was late.
i just sat down. alone.
well. i usually dont really take the initiative to interact.
i guess. it's just the dao side of me.
haha.

the module was ok.
grouped by the teacher into a group which i didnt get to choose my group mates.
well. no doubt a good time to know people. i doubt i'll know how to choose anyway.
i dont know a single one of them.
the class. was a male-dominated class.
out of 20 odd students. only 3 including me are girls.
so i was the only girl in the group with 6 other male students.
well. i dont really have an idea yet how to go about getting the group project done.
i just hope i do well for this module.
i think my gpa so far is really hopeless.
seriously need to do sthg to pull it up.
seems like i just cant settle for anything lower than an a.
i seriously am lousy at this course.
bleh.

and well.
the teacher had some personal matters.
and so tmr's class got cancel.
oh wow.
now i've got to see how to spend my tuesday alone at hall.
and wait for wednesday to come.
finish my class.
and run back home again.

played badminton in the afternoon with sis and imran and another friend of his.
was quite a work out considering how much i havent been exercising for months i think.
haha.
played for slightly more than an hour.
and got back to hall to wash up.

went out with chiewlin after that.
met her after her work at jurong east and then took the train to woodlands.
at first had wanted to catch xmen3 at jurong point.
but. the slot the cinemas now have are so few that the latest was 4.30 pm.
so we had to travel further to get a nice 7.35 pm slot at cathy woodlands.
yes. finally get to watch xmen after ranting for so long that i want to watch it.
to think i watched it only when it's about to be out of the box offices.
bleh.
still. better late than never.

we had dinner at kfc.
buddy meal.
didnt have much time so we settled for fast food.
eliminating bk which i had yesterday.
and macs. for reasons that it is just way too usual for fast food.
giving thumbs up to kfc cos they've got promotion.
haha.
ate till so full.
that settled both my lunch and dinner for today.
haha.


and chiew lin amazingly got notes.
with the serial numbers in order.
we paid the person at kfc with those.
hehe.
but then the person didnt seem friendly for some reason.
aiya. heck the lousy attitude.
i just needed to eat sthg.

after that watched the movie!
and the effects i think was really cool.
hehe.
there were quite a few touching scenes too.
man how sad that professor xavier disintegrated just like that.
but the part after all the credits left a huge question mark.
and wolverine having to kill jean cos she was totally going bersek.
rogue is how stupid la. to take the cure just for the guy. like -.-


after the movie.
all the action and all the heat.
haha.
we had ice-cream.
kfc soft serve ice-cream at 50 cents.
with free toppings. either rainbow dots or peanuts.
hehe.
had a mixed flavoured ice-cream with rainbow dots.
hehe.
so kiddish.
but i like.
haha.
crunch crunch the sweet rainbow dots.
:)

and just a few more random pictures out of total boredom.


take a peek at the new building for the ntu school of design.
looks totally like a golf course at the top.
we had some joke that it was going to be some slide some time back while they were still constructing it.


from another side.
looks complete.
but it isnt.
should be in the final phase.
most of the exterior looks done i suppose.
hehe.
cool building.
but really.
i wonder what's the purpose of investing all the money for such a cool design.

and i did this out of boredom too.

You Are Cyclops

Dedicated and responsible, you will always remain loyal to your cause.You are a commanding leader - after all, you can kill someone just by looking at them. Power: force beams from your eyes

Which of the X-Men Are You?

just a moment

was thinking through this last night as i get to sleep.
yes my brain seems to like to work till the very last minute.
until it gets totally knocked out.
how sadistic.

anyway.
i was reflecting in a sense.
how often we get so busy.
that we dont stop by to take a moment.
just that short moment.
to really think about life.

a question i used to ask myself.
where will i end up eventually?
sometimes i dont like to think about it.
cos as a mere human i escape whenever i can.
telling myself i cant even be sure of what job i want to take up when i graduate in 2 year's time.
what's more about life after that.
needless to say life after death.

have it ever occurred to you the issue of where you will be after you die?
is it just decomposition of the flesh into total nothingness?
the idea of eternal life.
the life after death.
i got to talk to the hostess about it one day during my trip.
she asked me. so you believe in life after death?
yes of course.
i believe in life after death.
that the soul will either go to heaven or hell after death.
in fact. i've placed my investment in heaven.

what about you then?
i dont know how many people have stopped to really think of this.
amidst all the hustle and bustle of this city.
have we really stopped to ponder about life. and even after that?

anyway.
other thoughts today.

was reading the papers.
lifestyle.
and chanced upon this article "spare us guys your shrieks".
talking about girls pretending to be fans when they are not.

hmmm.
personally i must admit that i really have no idea what the rules of the game are.
but nonetheless. given the heat of world cup season.
what's the problem about getting into the excitement of the games.
well i dont really shriek when i watch football matches.
i suppose i dont.
haha.

seriously. what's wrong with girls watching football for the sake of players looking cute?
i for one just seem to like to see michael owen play and wish that he would just get that ball into the goal and emerge as some hero of the match.
for a simple reason. i just think he is quite good-looking.
well in other words. cute.
i wouldnt use cute to describe him actually.
i do make comments about whether the players are quite good-looking or not.
but that doesnt mean i dont bother to watch the match progress.

i get the "argh" when the team i support would just shoot and shoot yet just fail to get a goal.
i'll get excited at the fast pace of the game. and get bored when they just seem to be kicking the ball around without any energy.
i may not understand how the referees at the side identify an offside.
i seriously dont know what an offside is all about.
i dont know what is the difference between a midfielder and a striker.
well i for sure know what the goalkeeper does.
honestly, i dont know much about the game.
still doesnt stop me from getting excited about the game anyway.

well. whatever it is.
in conclusion. i'm just feminist.
haha.
i dont like it when it is put that way about girls.
cos the columnist ended with "remember ladies: it's not a badge of honour. it's a bloody game. enjoy it at your own level if you can't enjoy it like the guys. just don't spoil it for the men."
totally dont like the phrases in italics.
what "your own level".
who cares about what level the guys are enjoying it at.
enjoyment is enjoyment.
"just dont spoil it for the men"?
what crap. well. then maybe i should go. just dont spoil it for the girls too. we have our way of enjoying those games.
ok well. again. i am being feminist.

now back in hall.
tomorrow is start of going back to school.
it's so bored just being here.
cos i'm hall alone.
and i think i'm gonna have a hard time surviving till wednesday somehow.
the break have weakened me i guess.
but it just dont feel as nice being hall alone.
well. human beings are social creatures.
i cant imagine having just 3 hours of class each day monday through wednesday then after that come back to hall and face four walls. eeks.
blehh. i miss zncl2 coming together.


drew this on the sand when i was at the beach at west sussex.
ok a super random pic. hehe.

a simple saturday back in singapore

To say "It's not about you" is not to say you aren't loved; quite the contrary. It's because God loves you that it's not about you.

And, oh, what a love this is. It's "too wonderful to be measured" (Ephesians 3:19 CEV). But though we cannot measure it, may I urge you to trust it. Some of you are so hungry for such love. Those who should have loved you didn't. Those who could have loved you wouldn't. You were left at the hospital. Left at the altar. Left with an empty bed. Left with a broken heart. Left with your question, "Does anybody love me?"

Please listen to heaven's answer. As you ponder him on the cross, hear God assure, "I do."

- Max Lucado (It's not about me)

was reading the book that i got from my cell for my birthday about 2 weeks back.
and i just thought that this is a part that's so true.
i guess we all just need that which is intangible but yet so real.
love.
and sometimes we just refuse to admit that we do.
in fact. i guess all of us are desperate for it.
and i'm most glad that i found that great love.
now i just need more of God.

had to miss prayer walk cos i couldnt manage to rush down after tuition.
but met up with the ntu and nus cell people for friendship day.
just to meet up for lunch and share.
and i'm so happy to hear that so many received during church camp.
too bad i missed it.
shall look forward to tertiary camp end of this year and church camp next year.
but it's nice to see them after being away for close to 2 weeks.
time just seems to fly. it just seems like it was so so so long.
maybe cos i'm just prone to miss home.
i like it in singapore. despite certain this and that which i do rant of at times.
but trips to make me appreciate the comfort of being at where i feel i belong.
i guess they are lessons to teach me to be contented with what i have.
everyone dreams of going to beautiful places.
for holidays maybe it's really a fine dream.
but for me at least i know for sure i'll soon want to get back here.
unless i have to stick to the place. like for studies. if i got to study overseas.

after that met up with some of the jc people for dinner.
linda. shiyun. sarah. yenghong.
flo came too. though later.
good to get to meet up with her. it's been so so so long.


was at cine waiting for the girls to finish kboxing.
and saw this cute thing.
m&m's and pirate of carribean promo.
so cute.
they having some fun promo event from 1st to 3rd july or sthg.
seems quite fun.


went to hotel rendevous for dinner.
shiyun mentioned a really nice restaurant with affordable prices.


the restaurant.
neat place. but rather small.
they had this mirror that made the place looked big cos of the reflection.
hehe.
self-service though.
good in a sense.
need not pay service charge.


the soup of the day.
which was included in the set dinner.
cost 7.50 and 8.50 depending on the main course you order.
had a soup, drink, main course, and a slice of fruit for dessert.
additional 1.90 to upgrade the dessert to sthg nicer like mango pudding or tiramisu.
a further 1.00 discount for students.
really cool.
think it's affordable for quite a meal.


what i ordered. grilled lamb chop with rosemary sauce.
kind of tough to handle.
cutting was some daunting task.
should have settled for something easier to handle like chicken or fish.
haha.


went smu after that.
got into the lounge.
cos shiyun had a meeting.
cos of our dinner. she was late. oops.
at first we wanted to go watch the match at 9 pm. portugal vs iran.
but end up chatting and decided not to watch the match.
hehe.
that's what catching up is for i guess. to talk!


and sarah got me this door hanger for my birthday!
so cute.
and really sweet.
thanks girl.
i won't get to use it that soon but i'll make sure i do more horizontal meditation!

holidays

finally.
a long-awaited entry. maybe not.
but it's the longest time i've ever not posted an entry over here.
i think it has piled up too much dust. way too much.

anyway. i just got back tonight.
so i'm kind of tired to blog.
looking at the amouth of photos that i've got.
and a whole 10-day long holiday in such a beautiful place is indeed hard for me to put them all down here.
shall do what i can do to describe the trip.

in general the trip was really an eye-opener.
but still. i would say that there's nowhere better than home.
it's good to be back here.
somewhere with things you find more affordable.
somewhere you feel so much safer.
somewhere you just know your way around.
and somewhere where i know where i've got internet access.


anyway. these are the types of houses you see in london. really pretty.
not quite like those high-rise apartments you see in singapore.


the view from the room of the house i stayed in.
the hostess prepared a really lovely room for us.
and they've got a pretty garden. which is really a very nice place!


in their house there is a conservatory. a nice place for afternoon naps.
with plants that the hostess herself carefully take care of.


the beach less than 5 minutes walk away from the house we stayed in for the first 6 days of my trip.
anyway. i was in west sussex. a place south of london. all the way till 12th morning.
it was a countryside area. which is really a very quite and nice place to be in.


being in the country side. we went grocery shopping by visiting farms.
where you really get very fresh food you need.
it's super cool.
this is a collage of the photos i took with my sis and i at the chichester food park.
they've got really loads of fruits and vegetables!


and to get meat and eggs, we went to a farm.
got to see the person feeding the goats that they reared.
the baby goat is only 3 days old.
and it's already grown quite a bit!
super amazing.


a picture of ying and me with the horses at leythorne farm.
but we were both so scared that we dare not go any closer to the horses.
haha.


a picture of me with the host.
he made smoothie from fresh fruits for us on several mornings.
haha. a healthy start to a day.
considering that i ate so much during the trip.


and a picture with a handsome english!
this guy is my age if i'm not wrong.
he's the gardener for the family we stayed with.
but girls. he's attached.
haha.


and when we went out on day 2.
uncle drove us and we got stuck at this junction cos the barrier was down to let the trains pass.
that took some time.
dont get to see such things in singapore.


and we visited chichester market.
took a photo with 2 policemen patrolling the streets.
who gladly agreed when we approach them to take photos.
haha.
i think ying and i crazily took a lot of photos throughout this trip.


we had our lunch just by the sea. but it was low tide.
after that got to visit this area in chichester. bosham.
got to even enter into the church.
a catholic one i think.
managed to sit down and pray for a moment.
really a peaceful sanctuary.
lovely.


on day 3 of the trip.
we visited arundel.
another area in england.
went to the castle.
admission was super expensive.
just to walk around the grounds of the castle cost 6.50 pounds.
to enter into the castle would cost 5.50 pounds more.
wooo. damn expensive.
but the place was really pretty.


a pic i took with mum at arundel castle grounds.
zi pai-ing skills at work.


mum and i with uncle and aunty at the keep of the castle which was one part of the castle we got to visit buying the cheaper ticket.


day 4 was shopping day.
but didnt get to buy a lot of things.
partially cos even though at gunwharf quays there are factory outlet stores, the things are still very expensive.
we bought thornton's chocolates though.
damn nice.
hehe.


me outside the starbucks at gunwharf quays.
didnt go in to get a drink though.
much more expensive than getting one in singapore.
:S


saturday night.
our dinner was fish&chips.
going to england. seems like having their fish&chips is a must.
and it's super delicious.
the one we went to we got to choose what type of fish that we want.
also. they have it with salt and vinegar.
instead of tartar sauce we get in singapore.

anyway weekends was rest days. so sadly we were stuck doing nothing in my room.
didnt have access to internet and couldnt do much.
get to stay at their place and watch movies though.
haha.


and on monday 12th. uncle drove us up north to london.
where we were at for the second half of our trip.
and the pictures are of the london eye.
the world's largest ferris wheel.
we went up on it on the hottest day recorded for june in london though.
and the capsules of the eye was made of glass.
which was a really hot experience.
feels as if you are in a greenhouse.
haha.


a picture taken with uncle in the capsule.






some of the amazing view you can see from the eye.
really splendid.


and because uncle was sick on the actual day of my birthday.
we didnt get to go out for dinner that night.
made it up with a dinner on the 12th.
had italian meal.
which was really costly.


the first breakfast i had in our hotel in london.
me holding on to this really delicious peach yogurt.
haha.
super nice.


took a shot of myself with borough market in the background.


me in front of the southwark cathedral.
this really nice place.
we didnt get to visit it until it was on our way back to the hotel.
i enjoyed the visits to the churches.
they gave me small opportunities to spend really quiet times with God.


climbed up the monument.
this 62m tall structure built to commemorate the great fire in london.
there were 311 steps to climb to get to the viewing area 50m above ground.
and ying and i climbed all the way up.
damn tiring.
it was one of the few times i actually perspired during the trip.
cos the weather then was cool. naturally air-con conditions.
phew.


and we also visited the tower of london.
entry tickets to this historical palace is expensive though. 12 pounds.
we walked around and it was a rather interesting experience.
but i've got to say that it isnt easy living in a castle.
damn crazy to walk around.
haha.
bought some really cute souvenirs.


one of the dinner at the hotel was breaded scampi and chips.
scampi i was told was sthg like prawns.
quite nice though.
watched the match brazil vs croatia over dinner.
won the bet too.
earned myself 22 pence.
btw 22 pence cant get you anywhere in england.
haha.


a picture of mum and i with uncle on one of the bridges across river thames.


a collage of pictures on the original tour.
on this open-deck bus ride around some parts of london to just sightsee.
can drop off at any place you like to visit the places of attractions then hop on the bus again.


my second last night at london was really fun.
got to meet up with taitik and lindy at leicester square.
and we went to this japanese restaurant for dinner.
had chicken karaage rice.
and the serving is really huge.
it's really worth it for 4.90 pounds.


a picture i took with lindy.
behind us is a theatre.
they were holding the movie premiere of the break-up that night over there.
should have stayed longer. would be able to catch a glimpse of jennifer aniston then.
hehe.


lindy and taitik took me to walk around chinatown there too.
which was quite interesting.
got a passer-by to take a photo of the three of us but it's in lindy's camera!


a photo with taitik.
at covent garden station.
we went walking around that area.

they escorted me back to the hotel where we watched the first half of the match germany played against poland.
and we walked to the pub somewhere near the riverside to watch the second half.
and i ordered diet coke!
haha.


and to meet them.
i took a ride on the tube.
the underground train in london.
it's non-aircon unlike in singapore's mrt.
and i think singapore's mrt system is way better!


us zi-pai-ing on the last day of the trip.


over at windsor.
near windsor castle where the queen lives.
a really scenic place.
the castle is super pretty also.
very magnificent sight.


and us at windsor great park.
this really big area with lust green grass grounds to sit on.
really a very nice place for picnic and a day of relaxation.
very very lovely place.

basically.
the trip.
was the one time i watched so much world cup matches in my entire life.
timing over there at london is so much convenient to watch them then in singapore.

and the things are really expensive.
so i think i'll really appreciate shopping here.

well.
i'm tired.
back at home and a good time to rest a while before i start work.
got loads of things to finish up.