Friday, June 30, 2006

Of Superman and The Last Supper.

Finally was able to meet up with Esther (who was on holiday some more), Hao Shen and Kin Wai yesterday before KW leaves for Johor, and me to K.L (so far hor) this weekend. HS will be leaving too, to Australia on the 14th; HS if you're reading this, you better not leave without a word !
And so we went to watch none other than the man of steel, superb Superman on the silver screen. I was anxious, excited and I wasn't disappointed.
The very moment the opening credits start to swerve in and out, in the middle of space, with its millions of stars on a humongous screen whilst its familiar spine-tingling tune -da da DA, DadadaDaDADA.. boomed in surround sound, I knew that was it. I was a born-again fan.
I liked Christopher Reeves who was somewhat irreplaceable but Brandon looked the part and fitted almost like a glove. He's cute to boot, sometimes too perfect to be real as Esther had pointed out in the cinema.
Plus, I've always loved Kevin Spacey since The Negotiator and it's alright that Kate Bosworth was one time Legolas's (Orlando Bloom) rumoured or not? lady love. Who can blame him?
And OMG, that hair with the curled 's' in front. I've almost forgotten about that!
It was great and it was a feast.
Go watch it.

Met Anne-who had just came back from Ukraine for a 2 months break and Thava too, after lunch and after Kin Wai had left. We practically stood there in a circle talking for about 45 minutes before deciding to sit down and talk somemore. They're both well and doing good, I might add.
Both of 'em left, and the 3 of us trooped back to watch another movie, for a steal of RM3 thanks to KW's free tickets, for Scary Movie 4.
Like I've expected, a silly spoof movie, with crude laughs in between.
But at least I've watched it. *grins*

Night falls, YJ and I went over to Mr. Prasad's to give him a gift before meeting up with the gang at Lil' Asia.
Ah, tuitions.
No more for me !
They're called tutorials now.

We figured that Lil' Asia wasn't enough and so we adjourned to LW for more lepak'ing sessions.
He had to go home early you see.
I called home, explaining the crisis.
"Mom, we're going over to LW's house, Pauline will send me home later."
"Oh. Why?"
"Because he had to go home early."
"Ah, and the rest of don't have to?"
Almost immediately : "Yeah."

Wait...that doesn't sound right.

And the sentenced replayed in my head again, coupled with my mom's sarcastic tone :
"And the rest of you don't have to ?"

Oh. Crap.

"Er, no lar no lar, heh heh "-attempt to rectify mistake, failed.

We bought a tub of ice-cream over and there we were,
Pau, Ling, YJ, LW and I, in the living room having our last (at the moment) supper of fattening ice-cream together.
In the spirit of togetherness : One fat, all fat!
Pau will be off to Johor tomorrow before the break of dawn, YJ to UPM and Ling to Sabah on Sunday.
And of course, the tai lou, LW to the Czech Republic in September who never fails to remind us how lucky we are to remain in Malaysia.
I admit, I was sad, it was melancholy and sombre.
Of course, they HAD to dig up some personal old buried history but that's the thing, it's history that we have together. Best-forgotten history, best-remembered history, laughter, stumbles and secrets.
As beautiful as the memories are,
I do believe that the future's just as beautiful.
New steps, now, baby steps at first but we'll run soon enough.
And by then, we'll have new stories to share.

New memories to build.






Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Sheep in the city

I played tourist guide to my parents today.
The only thing missing was a purple umbrella, a bright smile and sticker tags.
So, we went to the big city of Kuala Lumpur, like sheeps in the city. Brought them to Taman Jaya Putra LRT Station-"Har? Have to walk so far ar? I thought you said the station is beside the Amcorp Mall parking bays?" " It IS, mom.", commuted to KL Sentral and then hitched a ride on the Monorail(of which was my mom's and dad's first) to Bukit Bintang.
I know, I know, why not stop at Imbi and save 50 cents?


Me : "So, here we are. If we stop at Imbi, it's RM1.60 and we would have to cross the road and walk not far to Sg Wang and Bintang Walk. If stop at Bkt Bintang leh, it's more expensive but no need to walk lar."

Mom : "No, I don't want to walk, Stop at Bkt Bintang !"

'Nuff said.

Thus we arrived at around 1 pm, while my Kuok Foundation Interview (which was why I went there in the first place) was scheduled at 4 pm. So what's a girl and her mom, and her trudging dad to do but to while the time away, shopping ? Give my mom a shopping complex to walk in and she won't ever complain about having to walk a lot.
After lunch of course, at KFC.
Dad : "Come to K.L to eat KFC. Yeah."

"The chicken here is nicer!" Of course.

And so I bought, well technically my parents bought for me, trackpants, working slacks at 50% off and a long sleeved shirt at 70% off over at Sg. W. and Isetan.
And, surprise of all surprises, my mom bought me a white gold ring, which I kinda liked very, very much and best of all, it was at a bargain price.
And I'm there to beg for a loan and/or grant with a white gold ring, Esprit watch and gold chain. YEAH. Smart right?!
For the record, the watch was a gift, the ring less than 40 bucks and the chain was bought long time ago. Shucks, I should have just gone there without anything.
Without any accessories, not clothes, mind you.
But they're all my good luck charm mar.

I wasn't nervous, at first, but when you're sitting on the couch outside the room, freakin cold with the clerk fiddling with the computer, knowing that whatever happens behind that door will decide whether you get or not, my heart involuntarily palpitated. For a while.
I don't get it, I tend to be nervous during interviews, making silly lame jokes and sounding more nervous, squeky and softer than I would have liked.
And I'll bla until I don't know what I'm bla'ing about.

A bell rang, an indication that I'm supposed to go in.
2 chinese ladies sat at the table, with a chair placed opposite them.

Lub Dup Lub Dup.

"Good afternoon, er, Miss Chuah?"

Lub Dup Lub Dup.

"Good afternoon ! " Trying to sound as cheerily and less forced as humanly possible.

"Please sit."

Lub Dup Lub Dup.

And so I sat, at the edge of the chair, back straight.

"Oh, do lean back, relax, don't worry"

And so I did lean back, a little.

"You can lean back some more , make yourself comfortable"

I haven't even noticed that I hadn't lean back as much as they would want me too, so I meekly did as I was told.

And so it started.

Lub Dup.......teeeeeeet [ straight heart line indicating no heart beat]

I wish.
I shall not bore you with the details, though.
It ended and let's pray hard shall we?
Even if I don't get it, I'm sure they gave it to more deserving students who needed the help more than me. So it's alright.

On the way home,

"It's pretty easy isn't it travelling around K.L."

"Yeah."

"So next time your papa and I can go jalan-jalan by ourselves when you go off to the University la"

WTH, without me?! " er..Yeah."

Thursday, June 22, 2006

T-A-G-G-E-D

I've been tagged by dear Shin Dhee!

Numero uno : Name 20 people from the top of your head. No peeking!

Numero dos : Answer the questions.

Numero tres : Tag other people.

Simple?
Here goes .

1. Pauline
2. Li Wei
3. Yi Jiang
4. Woei Jye
5. Chia Hau
6. Ee Von
7. Esther
8. Maggie
9. Kenny
10. Li Ern
11. See Wah
12. Steve
13. Karin
14. Kam
15. Choon Yen
16. Shin Dhee
17. May Lynn
18. Kin Wai
19. Preeta
20. Gaya

1. How did you meet 14 [Kam]?
From school..Were schoolmates since Form 1, and occasional classmates for some years.

2. What would you do if you had never met 1 [Pauline] ?
What would I do? I would hunt around for someone like Pauline!
It would indeed be a shame to miss out on meeting someone with as much heart and goodness as her. And I would miss a lot of laughter too.


3. What would you do if 20 [Gaya] and 9 [Kenny] dated you?
Lol. I wouldn't mind both actually but I suspect in both cases, many people would be after my head!

4. Would 6 [ Ee Von ] and 17 [May Lynn] make a good couple?
They are already kind of related anyways and both have other halves, so no!

5. Describe 3 [ Yi Jiang ].
Heh heh. Where shall I start? He's obviously extremely intelligent, articulate and smart. Fun, friendly and conscientious, not to mention popular. A bundle of energy and very reliable. A great friend, really!

6. Do you think 8 [Maggie] is attractive?
Definitely! Without a doubt! Sooo cute!

7. Tell me something about 7 [Esther].
She's the longest and dearest friend of mine. 14 years?! She's generous and extremely caring; has a bubbly personality which endears her to those that are close to her, like a magnet! Can practically talk about anything! You can never have a dull moment with her around!

8. Do you know anything about 12's [Steve] family?
I know they're in Bentong lar. But that's about it.

10. What would you do if 11 [See Wah] confess that he/she likes you?
I wouldn't be surprised..she does show some lesbian tendencies..in a good way! lmao.

11. What language does 15 [Choon Yen] speak?
English, Mandarin, Hokkien i guess?

12. Who is 9 [ Kenny] going out with?
Erm...I don't think he's going out with anyone right now..If there is, he'd better tell me!

13. How old is 16 [ Shin Dhee ] now?
Just turned 19 this month!

14. When was the last time you talked to 13 [Karin ]?
Quite long ago, I think it was during Kenny's birthday bash.

15. Who is 2's [ Li Wei] favourite singer?
Only one?! I know he listens to people like Jason Mraz, That Italian fella, Gavin deGraw, that Blue fella.. Maxim ain't a singer though.

16. Would you date 4 [ Woei Jye]?
He's already taken. Just recently!

17. Would you date 7 [Esther]?
In a heartbeat!

18. Is 15 [ Choon Yen ] single?
Yeap.

19. What's 10's [ Li Ern ] last name?
Her surname's Chee.

20. Would you ever consider being in a relationship with 11 [ See Wah]?
She's a girl. I'm a girl. SO whaddya think? *winks

21. What school does 3 [ Yi Jiang ] go to?
He'll be a University student very soon. An excellent University student, I'm sure.

22. Where does 6 [ Ee Von] live?
I know enough lar!

23. What's your favourite thing about 5? [ Chia Hau]
Innocence? heh heh.

Now, it's your turn,
Esther, Maggie, Kin Wai !

A little conversation

"When you're in the University, you must take care of yourself already."

"Erm." -to mean, yes father I hear you loud and clear. Without all those extra words.

We were in the car after dinner with padawan's family.

"Cannot say don't want to eat this, don't want to drink that in the morning."

"....Erm."

"Don't simply mix around, must choose your friends wisely."

"Ah. " - to mean, affirmative.

At this point, my mom who was driving, turned around to look at me, smiling. One glance said it all.

I shrugged and made a face. I had to listen, there's no way out of the car.

"Take care of your stuff, don't simply put here put there."

"Okay."

"Must go to the temple to get protection ady."

Mom interjected, "She already has one from a temple in Taiping. A strong one some more."

"Where got such thing as strong or weak one?"

Ahem.

"You must be intelligent, not only in studies but other aspects too."

".......O..kay.."

"Campus life is very different !"

"Like lar you've been through it before."

"Eh! I almost made it okay. It's just that they gave me the wrong exam paper when I sat for it!"

My mom glared.

I'm just normal...that's all..NORMAL

He replied.

Who?
He lar, haven't you been paying any attention?


In the not too distant past, if you remember, I commited myself into sending my sweat-inducing 1500 words essay for the IMU Scholarship to the doctor I was talking about, therefore I did. He didn't give any feedback nor replies or anything and thus I conveniently forgot the whole thing.
That was until I returned to the clinic to get my Hepatitis B Lab Results, of which I'm a negative by the way, and he mentioned that his e-mail account has been bug/virus infected and thus could not receive anything.

Oh.

But it was the afternoon of D-day anyway (19th) and after getting the lab report, relayed to him the good news that I've been accepted into UM to do Pharmacy.
Rounds of congratulations later, blabbed about what to expect and the like ( he's a UM alumni). But not for long ler, there were poor sick souls waiting outside (I ain't heartless!).

So that's that.

And then, just now, saw a reply from him in my Yahoo! Mail; with a phone number attached.
And I acted all schoolgirl-ish.
Crap.
I feel a crush bubbling inside.
What the hell,
he's married with kids for heaven's sake.


Oh man.
What's with me and older men?!

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

My life took a turning, to where I couldn't see but of which I can feel.

Okay, how shall I start?

Like zis.

Thank You for all the blessings that You have showered upon me, for lighting the way when the path gets dark and for bestowing upon humble me, opportunities that many would kill or willingly give an arm (or leg) for.
Life has thrown me around in a rollercoaster ride of anxiety, grit, disappointments and helplessness,
But also peace, sheer joy and multitude of chances.
A path laden with potholes but blessings to overcome them.
Of support to be found everywhere I turned.
A bright light shining of which I'm eternally grateful.


Ahem.

So, 19th of June was just like any other day EXCEPT for this little rumour going around that the UPU results will be out. I think most of the ex-STPM-ers were sweating like pigs the previous night. I cannot deny being worried myself, I mean, it's MY future they're deciding after all.
But I had a good night's sleep and that's the most important thing.

Dawn broke over the horizon..okay, fine, more like midday when the sun was already in an almost perfect vertical above your head, that I wondered if the rumour was real, or fake.
Being a big cowardly chicken, I didn't check through SMS straight away, instead I

Flipped through the papers; Nope, no news whatsoever -already thinking it's half-fake
Checked the website; Tadak pun - Definitely a false alarm
Messaged a few people, namely Esther and Yi Jiang ; Both gave a negative -WTH, worry for nothing

The sun dipped futher west and then YJ called,
"Eh! Results come out ady! Faster check!"

Switched on the computer, waited for the darn screen to show the desktop of green hills and serene blue sky while calling and messaging the rest, informing of the newly obtained bit of information.

Keyed in my IC, Angka Giliran and waited..and waited..and waited with my father's brooding presence directly behind me, 2 pairs of eyes staring intently at the screen.
Before the page could even load, YJ called,
"Congrats! You've got what you wanted...."
And there it was in front of me.


NO KAD PENGENALAN / MY KAD : ****
KATEGORI : S - Lepasan STPM 2005
ANGKA GILIR STPM 2005 : ***
NAMA : CHUAH SIM MEI

TAHNIAH!

Anda telah berjaya ditawarkan program seperti di bawah :
KOD : MF00
NAMA PROGRAM : FARMASI
IPTA : UNIVERSITI MALAYA (UM)


For some reason or the other, the first thing I saw was the words :
UNIVERSITI MALAYA (UM)

UM.

UM.

UM.

Oddly familiar.

OMG! UM, baby!

Of course, the second thing i saw was FARMASI.

I AM very, extremely grateful that I've got my first choice. UM-Pharmacy.
I mean, many many people couldn't get their first choices and many didn't even get into Universities (which absolutely sucked, big time.)

I'm good. Good as in satisfied, mind you. I'm not tooting my own horn.

It's my dream University, prestigious and honoured.

I'm good.

I've got a place and it's nearby, next to UPK (University of Port Klang) of course -inside joke.

I'm good.

I'm able to save loads of money on my parents behalf.

I'm good.

I wouldn't have to be far from my family after all!

I. am. good. I'm blessed. Enuff said.

Thank you people for your good wishes, hopes, and shared happiness.
Let us embark on this brand new journey together?
Newly paved roads.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Mamak-6BS1/AS1-Reunion


It was Saturday night, June the 17th and after little planning and huge word-spreading, 6BS1/AS1 reunion finally happened in one quaint little shop called Kayu.
Perfect because it's very affordable, privacy was not a problem, and I can safely attest that everyone loves mamak food. Who doesn't, please raise your hand? See, None.
Practically everyone was fasionably late, almost 40 minutes, thanks in no small part to the huge jam in Banting road and the Bayu-Bkt Tinggi traffic lights (2 main roads towards the destination) but all is forgiven the very moment they step into the room.
Such is the power of friendship.
I haven't seen some since The results day so it was great to be able to meet up, catch up and eat.
Squeals of joy, hugs, screams of "Ohmygodyou'reherehowyou'vechanged!"and "Howareyouwhatwereyoudoingwhatareyoudoing?" filled the air. And of course, of "GOAL!" thanks to the flat TV, privately for us.
All in all, it was an enjoyable dinner and a golden chance to be at the same place, at the same time before going off on different routes. The only disappointment on that night was the fact that some couldn't make it so it wasn't a full reunion but attendance was surprisingly satisfactory.
Although we were in the same class for only about a year plus but this is one tight group. I guess the tribulations and the immense suffering brought us together like nothing ever could. (",) We've got each other's back!
Us, being us, of course you could count on pictures.


Girls Part 1

Girls Part 2


Machas!

With Preeta, Priya and Pushpa (Eh! 3 P's' ..) plus Perempuan.


But anyway, these are from my going-to-no-battery camera, so very few pictures; more is with Yi Jiang. And since the whole universe is in a big Hoo-Haa over the recently announced University Applications Results, I guess I won't be getting more pics from him anytime soon so these would have to do.

Ah. University Results.

That's a WHOLE another blog post.

Friday, June 16, 2006

Why not 8 perfect lovers instead? Ish...

I've been tagged and I know this post is overdue-sorry! But the anticipation makes it all the more sweeter right? *grins*
I would think the characteristics of my version of a perfect love would be longer than 8 but since I'm being restricted to 8, so here's 8 lar.

1. Sense of humour - A person who could look at things from a humorous perspective always wins points in my book. Laughter's the best medicine anyway and He who does not take himself seriously is he who is happy!

2. Loving / Caring - A perfect lover would of course, have a loving soul, one who loves himself, the people around him and the world he lives in.

3. Worldly wise- He does not necessarily have to be smart, just world-conscious, knowing that the World Cup is held every 4 years and that the leatherback turtle is on the brink of extinction. In short, he musn't be ignorant; which is why I find myself having crushes on older, brooding, sophisticated men. lmao.

4. Mischievousness - A hint of mischievousness is much preferred than all-the-time seriousness. Naughty but nice!

5. Patient - One who knows certain things cannot be helped, like getting stuck in a massive traffic jam , or knows that certain things cannot be rushed but be allowed to run its course, and one who isn't easily irritated is good, because I can get pretty irritating sometimes!

6. Kind-hearted - Who would want one with a heart of stone?

7. Brave - Not afraid to show affection, not afraid to admit mistakes, not afraid to show emotions and not afraid of moi.

8. Passionate - Passionate in what he believes in and passionate in living.

Okay, that makes it 8. I'm done !
Not as easy as I thought.
Now I gotta tag 8 people, and they are *drumrolls*..
Kexin (hehe) , Kin Wai, Ee Von, Maggie, Adrian, Seng Aun, Shirlyn, Chee Shin.
8? Right.
Har Har. Have fun cracking your head!

Thursday, June 15, 2006

VRoOOm !

I'm totally in love with GSC 1 Utama. (I know! Sad rite?) OMG, I don't want to be one of those who only goes for the high class in the likes of what my mom said when I told her I'm going out today with good pals to watch a movie :
"You guys cannot be going to the Klang's one right? Should be 1U, Pyramid or Damansara's one ainnit?"
But I can't help it. It was so different from TGV that I felt SO like a kambing who just lost its way and ended up in the middle of downtown bandar. You can just stretch your legs and not even touch the seat in front of you. The only thing missing from a perfect movie outing was the fact that I didn't check out the toilets yet -Quality Control mar!-
So anyway, I watched The Fast and The Furious : Tokyo Drift without having completely watched the first 2 installments-only managed to catch bits and pieces over at Astro, which I didn't mind because I figured what could go wrong with oggling at pretty, shiny fast cars racing each other on the big screen, coupled with superb surround sound?
And where else can you see a western cowboy, smooth-talking African American Brotha' and an Unknown tanned girl with an Australian mother and an Indian sounding name-Neela, together in a Tokyo high school?
Insert in bad guys with Mafia uncles, dirty money, scantily-clad girls and revved up engines what do you get?
A movie.
The last bit of the movie was the most entertaining to me though, a scene involving a surprise cameo. Ooo..
We had a bit of an adventure too on the way back with our ride stopping dead in the middle of a jammed stretch of road, directly in front of the automobile repair shop, thank goodness. Quite fun, actually. LOL

I gotta clean up my room. Part 1 was done on Wednesday and I got so sien that I decided to put it off til tomorrow for Part 2.

As for now, it's time for some instant gratification - FOOTBALL !


Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Of samba and !xobile

Kaka scored a superb long range first goal of the match and the whole Brazilian camp celebrated by popping champagnes in the middle of the green, green pitch and dancing to the samba rhythm amplified from out of no where, you would think angels up in the sky were the ones drumming the drums and blowing the trumpets, in a riotous mood.
The second goal was wonderfully scored by Ronaldo in a blink of an eye and the whole stands erupted into cheers with balloons and streamers falling like rain from the clouds.

"Teet teet..Teet teet"

The rhythm was suddenly punctuated by a tone, booming like thunder that sounds oddly familiar.
Ah. It was my handphone messaging tone.
By Kin Wai about 3.30 a.m.-ish enlightening me that the Croatians are attacking far better than the Brazilians.
Oh Well, since I'm up, what the hell! So, there I was, lying in the dark, on the couch, shouting with joy when Kaka DID score the first goal, long range no less (Oooo...weird), and of anguish when Croatia punished the Brazilian defence, time and time again.
One word sums the whole match up : Unconvincing. Or how Kin Wai put it so succintly- Boring.
Of course, there were moments of brilliance, fluid passing and almost-there attempts of goal but that's just it, littered moments.
Ronaldo didn't score, nor was he as present as Ronaldinho and Cafu (ah, Cafu, I have a soft spot for him), so there goes my sixth sense. Not blaming him though, there's always some sort of pressure with first matches, and the blisters on his feet must have been an additional problem, if I didn't hear the commentators wrongly.
Ah. Football. Nothing like watching it in the middle of the night when I could have continued dreaming of Roberto Carlos , Adriano and Lampard (!?) scoring the next few goals.
Or watching the repeats the next day. But where's the fun in that eh?
No live no shiok.

Kudos to Kexin for recommending Russell Peters to me. He's an absolute riot I tell you! This here, is the first video I watched and it had me in stitches.

!xobile -watch it and know it.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Neglected! -for a while

Here's the deal. I'm a procrastinator and I darn very well know it and because of this stoopid habit of mine, I tend to do things last minute, and when I do things last minute, I worry and when I worry, there goes my mood out the window.
As easy as 1 + 1 = 2.
So why haven't I figured that out yet? Stuff it in your head and keep it in.
Never assume nor leave everything to tomorrow because tomorrow might very well not appear for you, dear amy.
There.

The reason I've been neglecting for a while besides the lack of inspiration was the fact that my inspiration has been forced to be directed upon the task of completing a 1500 + words essay for the IMU Medical Scholarship. It was on why I wanted to be a doctor (hmm. very original. blek.) and my perspective of a doctor's life ( very,very original)


Blissfully ignorant to the fact that I haven't written an essay in half a year,
"1500 words only mar. sap sap water ( easy peasy)"
So there I was, in front of the computer, feeling enthusiastic and filled with ideas.
Wrote until about 300 plus words and I got stuck.
1200 more words to go.
I started to sweat.
Got up, walked around and proceeded back to the computer. Still stuck.
Grabbed something to bite, something sweet to drink.
Yep, still stuck.
SO I did the next best thing, switched the darn thing off and continued the next day.
And the next, and the next AND the next. Managed to finish, thankfully.
After which I had to start on Another essay on why I wanted the scholarship.
Man. Excruciating.

Okay fine, with both done and completed, I took it for granted and assumed that I didn't need to read the Instructions before filling the form.
I made an ASS out of U and ME. Well, basically just me. Took a double take and realized that the instructions are darn long, that I needed to photostate 6 copies of the completed form, get EA, EPF, payslips, a Confidential Report by the principal AND a Hepatitis B Lab Report.All due on Friday, the 16th.
See?! So smart right?!
So, rushed to school this morning, kay-pohed with the teachers. Oh, btw dear friends, ALL your latest news I've already blabbed to them today. *grins*
Went for lunch with mummy and guess who I met?
Dearest Asha, a primary school classmate cum close friend cum bully kaki cum comrades-in-arms who I haven't seen for a number of years. We must have looked like a bunch of mad fellas, shouting and hugging and standing while chatting whilst our food go cold on the table.

Come afternoon, papa took me to get the Hepatitis B test done. Had my blood drawn for the very first time. Diluted stuff, me blood.
The good doctor didn't miss the opportunity to ask whether I've been taking the EPOs, with a mischievous glint which I could have sworn I've detected.

Exasperatedly, my dad retorted " Yeah, for like probably 2 times in 2 weeks!"

"Where got ! "

Doc : "Three times?"

Under my breath, "More like four times."

Thanks to my big mouth, I found myself commiting to CC-ing my long-winded-story-of-a-doctor-and-his-life-according-to-moi to him.
I can imagine him laughing his head off while reading.

But anyway, before anyone gets any funny ideas, especially Kenny, he's already married with kids.

And now, South Korea is playing against Togo, after which France will get some action on the field and then, the Brazil boys will be samba-ing to the twilight rhythm of early dawn.

To snooze or not to snooze. That is indeed the question.





Tuesday, June 06, 2006

.......

Scene : Father Chuah, Mother and Daughter are on the way up the stairs to the apartment after a mamak session with aunts and cousins. While talking of course, about going lepaking with friends.

Dad : "Go lar, go out with your friends"

Mom : "Why so like that one? When I want to go out, you Always say no, but you Always encourage YOUR (note : emphasized) daughter to go out. "

Daughter : Heh heh.

Dad : "Because she goes out with a group of friends mar"

Mom : "Yeah, like the ones I wanted to go out with aren't friends." Rolling her eyes.

Dad : to me, " Going out is not wrong but make sure that next time in University, you don't simply go out just like that and without informing us."

Daughter : as convincingly as possible, "I won't wan lar."

And then, totally out of the blue (and green and red)

Dad : And make sure NO Indian or Malay boyfriend. I want only Chinese boyfriend.

WTH?!

I couldn't stop laughing-albeit nervously.

Not to mention my mom.

My Dear, dear Papa.


Sunday, June 04, 2006

I love being able to read my head off.

Reading and finishing 'Emma' by Jane Austen recently, is like going back to my roots because classics are basically ALL that I ever buy and of course, read, when I was younger.
Mainly because they are so darn cheap.
Before, one only needs to part with RM 5.80, for a brand new book. Read my lips-oh, no-read the screen,Brand New.
Ah, but thanks to inflation, the passing of time and all that- thank you so very much-
Classics now come at a 'brand new' price of RM8.50 (eh, the numbers terbalik- 5.8, 8.5, heh heh ) each.
But all things considered, they are considerably cheaper than contemporary fictions which soars to as much as RM50 per book,sometimes more, which pretty much explains why whenever I get to step into humongous retail stores like Kinokuniya or MPH, I would head to my Roald Dahl collections, or books that I've heard SO much of, and yet so expensive, touch 'em lovingly and then *sob* achingly placed them back.
I can't afford 'em because I don't have an allowance. Thus, money comes only when money comes and frugality is not so much as an option, but a choice.
Not to say that I don't get what I want, my parents buy whatever I need but I just couldn't bring myself to ask for money.

"Enough money ar, you need any?"

"No need lar, I have enough."

But anyway, I splurged recently at Borders, bought 4 classics at the price of 3, which comes to about RM25.50?
RM25.50 for 4 books! 4 different stories, 4 X hundreds of pages to savour and 4 different covers.
Now, is that not a bargain?

So far I've devoured 2 :
Emma, a romantic classic (my gosh- the first since the phase of Jane Eyre, Agnes Grey, Wuthering Heights, etc. which I had when I was 12/13-ish years old), which I rather enjoyed, surprisingly.
It's about a lady, who wanted to play matchmaker and ended up finding a mate of her own. I knew who the unlucky fella's gonna be the very first second he appeared in the book. The plot is rather predictable, and so the twist is more like benign hula-hooping.
Bear in mind that it was published in 1816, so granted, after almost 100 years later,very little things surprises people, mainly because, well, we are well shocked enough and we're more twisted then ever before ourselves.

The other, The Diamond As Big As The Ritz & Other Stories by F.Scott Fitzgerald was amusing! Perfect as a late night read before going to sleep. Sucks you in then spits you out abruptly. I've been caught being up way past my bedtime reading when I ought to be sleeping.
Dad : "FASTER GO SLEEP !"
Switches off the lights.
Darn.

His stories reminds me of Roald Dahl's adult short stories, less funny, but as dark.

In between that two, I've started on For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway. Not wishing for a classics overload, decided on it. My dad says the movie's good, but the book's a little tedious I feel, but I'm not giving up just yet! Bought it for quite cheap too, RM12.90 for Ernest Hemingway 2 Bestsellers in 1 in Popular. A good place for cheap books.

Oh, have I mentioned that I found The Lord of The Rings bookset for ONLY RM15.90?!

Practically grabbed it and ran to the counter.

In case you haven't noticed, I am a bargain hunter. One big vicious bargain hunter.




Friday, June 02, 2006

a trip to the doc

To all guys who think it absolutely sucks to be a guy,
Try being a girl in the throes of mentrual cramps. Every month.

Now, try being a girl in which it hurts so bad you just black out.
You'll never complain after that.

Went to the clinic again for pain relief and came away feeling sheepish and stupid. My stupidity made the doctor laugh, at the very least. You see, my dad, and mom had been bugging me to take EPOs (Evening Primrose Oil) since the last attack but me being me, I didn't. So when the good doctor recommended something non-invasive to help the problem, what did he take out? a bottle of EPOs.

I must have looked like some monkey who just ate a whole basketful of hot chillies and now, jumping in agony because he just took one look at me, said,
"She looks like a very bright person"
And then laughed.

dad to doc , "You See?! YOU better be the one telling her, she won't listen to us! I have a hard time getting her to eat fruits that I've cut and placed in a platter, whats more this"

And the good doc laughed some more.

I was in pain so I just sat looking like a complete fool.

Okay, it's my fault, enough already.
Enough to make me resolve to stuff one darn pill each day, even if it kills me. (Figuratively, of course.)

My dad, being who he his, managed to swerve the conversation towards the coming University Results, me having to take care of myself, and of course, taking up pharmacy and whether it's the right step.
He's kind of worried that I might regret not placing medicine as the first choice after reading an article in the newspapers today where many high achievers aren't putting medicine first and therefore less competition in that field.
What he didn't know was that, I didn't regret and I didn't mind.

But the doc, Dr. Nadzri was fun to talk too, encouraging and friendly.
He said that what's important is to gain a place, and after that there's a huge world ahead of you, that is, to me. There's plenty of options that are related to the medical fields and that I should never lost heart nor hope.
And to never regret because circumstances as they are, are always there to influence. But with heart, you'll do good because there are many options around with things turning up without you expecting them to. Because after all, the thing that wakes you up in the mornings is the drive and the passion.
My passion is medical related, and if that means pharmacology with its various branches, biomedical, biochemical or something else, so be it.
Who knows, maybe I'll be able to discover some new drug that will save the world?
Like a modern female version of Batman?
cue: Batman theme

He gave me something, a piece of paper, nothing fancy, about a certain drug, its side effects, compositions etc which you might find enclosed with any packaged drug.
"As an introduction to pharmacy", he says while handing it to me, smiling.

I take it as a reminder that I should never lose heart and faith.

Thank ye, Dr. Nadzri.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

I had my first taste of blood..

I feel like a Vampire who had her first taste of sweet blood and is now on a frantic hunt for more.

I had my first taste of World Cup football.

I wasn't actually bothered about it, I mean, I knew it was coming but I'm not one of those die-hards who counted down the days to it's precise hour and minutes.
"Oh? World Cup in June, this year? So fast ar?"
And that's about it.

But then, I happen to catch the friendlies that day, England-Hungary and Germany-Japan, and I knew that I'm in serious trouble.
There's something about watching Gerrard and Terry scoring from a superb cross by Becks and looking on unbelievably as Crouch celebrate with a robot dance (so cute!) before being swarmed by other whities, regardless of clubs, that just send a shiver down my spine. It's nice to watch them come together to fight for their respective country's glory eventhough they might play against each other in leagues. You can sense a whiff of joy, excitement and spirit on their part. Not to mention patriotism.
And I've always tried, though not always succesful, to be a patriot.

The last World Cup was fun, owing to the fact that it was held in an Asian country so I could watch it at night with an extremely bising family without sacrificing my precious sleep.
And I admit it, I skipped tuitions just to watch the matches. Not so goody-two-shoes after all eh? So sue me.
But now, the matches would be in the mornings, midnights and in the wee hours of the mornings, according to my brother that is.
How grateful am I that I'm neither working nor studying?
So I can watch, whatever times it will be. *gleefully*

Here's to other footies, may June be as exciting, heartwarming and memorable for you as I hope it would be for me.
Didn't someone say that football is the most beautiful game in the world?
Of course, someone else did say it's the stupidest game in the world, with grown men chasing after 1 single ball.
Oh well, they are after all, men right?
=D
cheerios!

p/s : It's my lovely cousin's birthday !
Blessed Birthday Ivy Loke Mei Lian,
May you blossom into the beautiful person that you are !