Blogging from the Far Side

Far and away!! Every morning, it takes me approximately one and a half hrs to get to school. I know, I know, quit complaining, yadda yadda, in other countries, it's a blessing if u can make it to sch in 2hrs, that sort of thing. Unfair comparisons aside, I can't help but be just a little envious of those who live near university. Two years of walking to school must have softened me. Shopping sprees do not count. I used to wonder what it felt like getting up really early to get to school. Well, now I know it. Not really, I just wonder how they wake up early and have no complains, unlike whiny old me.

As it is, shall we go on to lighter matters then? The food is nice in NUS. As in, what I've tried so far anyway. There are also many stairs in NUS. Some of the stairwells are dark. The place can get creepy at night. My bus has no aircon. The stuff in NUS are cheap. Isn't the last one cool?? Campus is huge though. I've been spacing out lots during lectures. Why is that? During lectures, when I'm not paying attention, my head feels really buoyant and happy, like it's about to float away on fluffy white clouds if I forget to hold on to it...

Life at the edge.

First Day Blues

School started proper today, meaning lectures. Woke up early, caught the bus early, and made good time to school. Upon reaching NUS, I decided to drop at the library, which seemed to be closer to the lt that I was headed for. At least, I recalled that it had appeared closer on the map.

Since it was the first day of school and all, there were lots of people walking around, and most of them were moving at a sort of half-jog, half-walk hybrid pace. The woes of rushing from lecture to lecture. To prevent myself from being squashed by incoming students, I had to walk at that odd pace too, and got to the lt with 20 minutes to spare. Sat around then, and did a little people watching. Then, it when it was about time, I went in to lecture. Sat around somemore, while waiting for p.y. to appear.

Then. I find out that I'm in a Soci lecture. Hahaha. Wrong place. Whoopie.
Rushed to the correct lt. Mercifully, I had not missed anything in particular. What a way to start my 3 years at NUS. Joy to me.
As a side, I realised that somehow, my wonderful module combi is such that I have a lecture EVERY SINGLE DAY of a working week. So that means that I've got to go to school everyday. Way to go miss. Must remind myself to arrange a better schedule the next time round.

Bargains!

Went to the library used book sale today. Everything is going from about $2. Reached the expo at about 0830, and there was already a sizeable crowd waiting there. Most of them had come prepared with newspapers to while the time away waiting for the sale to open at 0930... Some came even more prepared, with huge backpacks and market trolleys.

Then the sale started. At first, we could approach the carts of books with ease, but within minutes, you had to fight increasing numbers of bargain hunters that had absolutle no scruples when it came to pushing, shoving and/or scratching. Don't forget the elbowing too. If you can withstand the maniacal crowd, it's really worth a visit. Of course, we didn't stay long. Got in at about 0930 and we were out by 1100. Honestly, the crowd was unbearable by then, and most the er. hunters had by then settled down amongst the crowd to peruse their trophies. We left the place exhausted. And to think it had been less than 2hrs!

The Notebook Hunt

Got my laptop today. Yay! First of all, I really must recount [yet again] the process of getting my laptop collected and processed. Amusing actually. Sort of like a treasure hunt you know. Walked all over NUS while lugging said notebook to search for the Staff Club where it was to be processed. Map was inaccurate, even if it featured only 3 places - the IT- Co op, an overhead bridge and the opposite end of the bridge. Lost lost lost. What a fun game. Embarrassed myself walking back to the IT shop to ask for directions. lol... what a sight.

After getting the laptop, decided to take cab home. Only.
The one available cab in sight zoomed into the distance before I could stick out a hand to flag it down, being weighted down with heavy tech stuff. So took a bus back instead. Never ever do that. It's heavy, inconvenient, and the bus ride was LONG. Mercifully, both buses were quite empty, and they would have been emptier still if swarms of student fresh from a day of doing good had not chose that precise moment to enter the bus. But I guess I can't really blame them, since it's a hoilday, and they are naturally excited. I remember loving the National Day holidays. Red all round. Actually, I prefered having the whole day off. Besides. I like white better. Red on the other hand, entails a trace of bloodshed.

Now, I'm at home, waiting for the laptop to finish charging or whatever it is that it has to do. Apparently, the plug from the charger came loose, and I've wasted one perfectly good day for charging it. Huh. Well. At least I'll get to play with it tomorrow. Whee! My own laptop!

Skool's In!

School's in again. I'm not an organised person, and at times like this, really wish I were. The bulky stack of forms I received through the mail gives the illusion that I'll be signing a million forms. Actually, it's only 4 for local students, but a lot more for foreign students. Then, I go online and download this stack of instructions that is a disheartening 20 pages long. The modules list goes on forever too, not to mention the time table.... Ugh. Then, there are 3 different kinds of modules...? Not sure how this is gonna work out.

Then I still have to fit in tuition, which is frankly disastrous, and am now opting for a way out... Then, there is all those things to do...I feel kinda queasy thinking dealing with the admin, and a new, strange environment. A new beginning. Again.

Anticipation

OK. I'm sitting around at home avoiding the TV because Idol is on and I don't watch that show. Right now, I'm just fidgeting about online feeling vaguely unhappy and impatient and edgy. The neighbour who has just beaten her son because he kicked up a big fuss about not being allowed to go play badminton since he has to take care of his kid sis is making an even larger anount of noise, which is adding to my headache. I'm sad to say my neighbour is loud (which isn't doing her justice) and has contributed much headaches, present and past. Ah well.

The only reason why I'm rooting about round here is because. I'm bored. Duh. Life has come to a stand still again after my Malaysian trip, and the only highlights have been eating out with friends and packing cupboards (again), which aren't much as highlights go. Umm. Been pacing about, trying to distract myself. I have all the time right now to bolt out there and watch Pirates, which I really want to, only I said I'll go with my sister who is currently having her exams, but is't putting in any effort to revise. This means going to the movies with her isn't exactly wasting her time since she is already wasting it. Someone tell me restraining my impulses for that twit's sake is worth it. I'm losing it right now.

Not Here

Will be in Malaysia from tonight till Thurs. So don't bother calling me. You can drop a message via my hp or this blog though. I'll read it when I get home Thursday night.

Skeletons in my cupboard

Finished cleaning up one of the 2 cupboards that I had planned to clean. But!
That is merely a third of the war won. You wouldn't believe the amount of junk I threw out. Actually it is believable if I describe them to you. Some of the stuff date back to the time when my age consisted of single digits.
They really had to go.
I mean, it is dead embarrassing for a 18 going on 19 girl to be caught storing pink and white party hats and a huge doll won from a lucky draw in her cupboard... not to mention all those numerous nameless thingys. So, I tidied up of course, peeled down my doll display which I had been so proud of when I was like... 12? I can't even remember when I did that, though I'm still proud of the now gone display.

Now, the upper shelf is devoted to clothes and some books. I'm considering transferring some more clothes from my 2nd cupboard over as the latter is threatening to smoulder me in a T-shirt-jeans-underwear-skirts avalanche one of these days. OK. Consider that done. haha. Eh. I'm so lame.
I think I'm never throwing out my Phy/Chem books. Though I've already disposed of my upper secondary Geog text since it is virtually useless, even as toilet paper. If you geog electives out there can still recall, that geog textbook was made of the shittiest (no pun intended) paper ever. You can't doodle on it. You most certainly can't use it for toilet paper. And most importantly, it wasn't a very good textbook. How frustrating could it get?

Certified Fun

Went back to school to eat fishball noodles. Ironically, there weren't any fishballs in my soup noodles. It was very nice though. The school is very quiet - because they are HAVING EXAMS!!! Hahahaha. Was called crazy. Well, I can't deny that it wasn't a very sane thing to do. But I have my excuses:
A) I've quit my job. So I don't have anymore pocket $$ and where better to get a cheap meal than gd ol' sch?
B) I've quit my job and it's time to do something odd.
C) I need to collect my A Level Certificate. I happen to know that many of you haven't collected it yet! Mwahaha.

In any case, it's good to be back in school. Such a lovely feeling. You should do it more often too. I've never felt like I missed school so much. And teachers turn stalkers!!!
Drama is holding elections next week, which means we actually got juniors of juniors or mini mimions! I didn't think we would get enough to hold an election... not meaning any offence of course.

Just remembered that I won't be able to go... =( Going to Malaysia next week. So if any of you out there see this, do pass on the info to all ex drama sorts.

Off Line of Duty to Customers n such

You cannot imagine what it feels like to finally leave your part-time job behind you. For instance, I decided to finally risk looking at the damage that nearly half a year's worth of washing up did to my fingers. I think I can safely say that my right finger knuckles have thickened, and it looks wider than those of my left hand, which has led a sheltered life since Fate decreed that I was going to be right-handed. Ok. Actually, I'm taking it better than what it looks here.

On the other hand, the day after I quit, my mummy descends on me with a long forgotten list of cleaning that had been pushed back due to my job. One type of cleaning up to another. Frankly I don't know which is worse. It's not that I'm dirty or like living in a hovel (as my mum likes to call the room that I and my sis share) but that I am incapable of tidying up, and more importantly, maintaining the level of neatness that my mum can tolerate. Books have a mysterious habit of spilling out by themselves. I wish I can attribute it to my neighbour who screams at her children everyday and I can hear her even when I'm sleeping in my room. It must have terrified my books seeing as they and their owner share a remarkably low level of patience for people who scream at their children be it to fetch their school things, correcting homework errors or to settle petty sibling squabbles. I actually HEAR what they are saying. Hah. I'm digressing again aren't I?

But seriously, now that I'm off work there isn't anything for me to do. One wonders if I should take up that offer from a hotel manager that I got last Sunday and pick up part-time work again. Nah. I'm hapy to bum around at home, and there is still two cupboards and a shelf to clean up, and possibly my secondary school stuff to throw out if I happen to be in the mood. I'm a sentimentalist and I can't bear to throw away that stupid Physics/Chem TYS.

I shall probably think of something to do. Like read some more. Currently, Sense & Sensibility is sitting at home trying its best to catch my eye. My quest to understand why Jane Austen is so good at what she does (and what exactly it is that she is so good at) is still an ongoing one. Various people have tried to explain to me why it is so good, but I like to read more and find out for myself. There are 6 other books at home, and the only one that I've completed is 'Notes form an Even Smaller Island' by Neil Humphreys. It is quite funny. It is also the thinnest. Makes me apreciate home a little more eh? Maybe you would too if you read it... Try the libraries. They stock an astonishing number of that book.

Well. You'll probably see more of me. I mean seeing as I am bored enough oops. I mean have more time to blog from now on. Do remember to leave a message. I might actually reply.

Simple Things in life

Simple things in life are the best. Whoever came up with that notion must be under appreciated.

Simple things like laughing together over how every good eating place for miles around are closed.

Simple things like des[s]ert.

Simple things like a walk at night and looking at the pretty lights round the Esplanade and Fullerton Hotel.

Even simpler things like nearly geting lost. If it's not a desperate situation, it is funny. Really.
The company is important of course.

The simply nice cool breeze and mildly warm sunshine at work.

A smile and thanks would be nice from customers. It's a simple gesture. Really.
Please don't make things difficult for me. I'll hate you since I still have to smile.

Please don't renovate/demolish/"spruce up" any more of our nation's treasured past, if we value our identity. Clifford Pier looks awfully lost under the white glare of construction work; and the red string tied acros its wide entrance is worse. Let's just restore it and liven it up instead. Or is that too difficult?

A Simple Life. And I don't mean Paris Hilton and whats-her-name.

When reality is this ridiculous you actually start believing crap

It wasn't Friday the 13th. 06/06/06 was 2 weeks ago.
So, it was I assume, an appropriate time for all these to happen since I wasn't going to expect anything out of the blue. Was happily locked in yesterday and found out 2 minutes before I was due to leave the house for work. What happended you see was that my mum took her house keys and MINE out with her when she left earlier to meet her gal pals.

You can imagine what I did to the gate to get out. Of course, the next thing to happen would be that the bus would take an unusually LONG time to come, and then conveniently stop at every traffic light between my home and Tanglin Mall. That by the way is a lot of red lights even though part of the bus route involved an express way. Upon cursing everything there could possibly be to curse in this situation, I rushed out of the bus and to my work place. Dramatic entrance was quite ruined seeing as I was 5 mins early. Then I broke a Snapple bottle.

I decided to research on Murphy's Law which took on some interesting routes like how: what we usually refer to as Murphy's Law is actually known as Finagle's Law (whatever that is). Truly, what can go wrong will, including the fact that people will actually mistake what your Law is named for... which is bad.

BUT!
Here is an interesting sample of dear ol Murphy's Law:

When you need an item that is in a heap, it will always be the one at the bottom.

Buses take ages to arrive, but when they do they always arrive in sets of three (in Britain "you wait ages for a bus, then two come along at once!"). There actually is a logical explanation for this: the first bus is slowed down because of the time needed to let passengers get on and off. The subsequent busses are (typically) not allowed to pass the first bus, so you tend to end up with a full bus followed by a line of empty ones.

Everything takes longer than you think, or twice as long as it should. Except that which appears easy, which takes three times as long.

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time.

If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.

If something simply cannot go wrong, it will anyway.

All small objects of value will disappear when set down.

Airline Travel Variation: The time you have to catch a flight is inversely proportional to the distance to the gate.

There is even a military variation known as Murphy's Law of Combat operations:

Friendly fire - isn't.
Interchangeable parts - aren't.
You are not Superman; Marines and fighter pilots take note.
Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder.
If your attack is going really well, it's an ambush.
The worse the weather, the more you are required to be out in it.
The complexity of a weapon is inversely proportional to the IQ of the weapon's operator.

Full list is available at Wikipedia's: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_law
That in case u don't know, is also where I got the sample list from. Duh.

Watch with Me: an update

My aunt's taking me to watch Cabaret! And I didn't even ask her! So long as she doesn't suddenly change her mind, Yay for me!! Hahahaha

Watch with me

Is anyone interested in watching Cabaret (a musical) with me?? Please say yes!

Summer Movie Report Card

Hello.

And hello again! It's your friendly blogger pal Ms Fickle again!!

Now, having exhausted verbally abusing X-Men: The Last Stand to all those long suffering souls out there, let's just say that while it was a really cool movie and all that, I do really really wish that the director focused more on developing the characters and their relationships rather than exhibiting his prowness with pyrotechnics. What with blazing cars that sail above the protagonists and collapsing iconic American bridges, I think we KNOW what Mr. Ratner is capable of... Wait! Did I mention that those scenes in which Jean Grey uses her awesome psychic powers are really cool too? Hah.

I think X-Men was one of those early comic hero adaptations that actually worked. No one really wants to see them as perfect. It was always their imperfections, being flawed and very human that connected me to them. It's so much easier to relate to a flawed character than sleek fighting machines. At least that is so for me. Depth? What happened to depth??? All ths same, it was a jolly good summer blockbuster. It just wasn't a good enough ending to a well loved movie trilogy, though kappa IS right in saying that there is no way they could continue this even if the whole world begged for a sequel. Well, if you ask me they can always go backwards like Star Wars.
Ha. ha.
Action? Check.
Romance? Check.
Epic-scale fight? Check.
Comic bits? Check.
A-List actors/actresses? Check.
Optional: Really angsty, tragic and tough issues? Umm.

Movie Mania May

Well well, the month of May seems to be providing a bumper crop of summer flicks. As it is, there is MI3, Da Vinci Code and XMen: The Last Stand... and of course all manner of kiddie run-of-the-mill shows like "Over the Hedge" (sounds like what Aunt Petunia likes to do or a really watered down Desperate Housewife-y thing). Frankly, is suburbia this interesting? and some Disney thing that looks like Madagascar... However, this post is not to throw nasty and uncalled for insults at the movie industry... rather we should forge ahead and hope for the best.

Woohoo!

Someone said that the Da Vinci Code is all bull****. That all those rants about finding mysterious codes are all fictitious. (Well ofcourse they are! That is my point see for here onwards) Hmm. Has that someone been quoting the friendly newspaper?? I know for a fact that the person has not touched anything as intellectual as a novel for well, a very long time.

Obviously.

Since when did Xmen, MI3 or any other popcorn worthy movie had to suffer from bouts of reality checks? Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Men with claws and pyschic abilities - the future of super beings are here. We must squash em!! Or well... there is this conspiracy see, where there are secret organisations of spies that are NEVER seen rapelling down HUGE skyscrapers in the heart of the CBD.

Likewise...
There is really no cause to raise such a brouhaha over what is clearly a piece of fiction no different from other pieces of fiction. Jeez. The characters Robert Langdon and Sophie Nevue are essentially non existent*. The Mona Lisa does of course, but so do guns, skyscrapers, spies, and human genome research. So er? Why the big fuss? Just because it claims to debunk centuries of belief doesn't mean it has to be true. Or even taken seriously. Latey, religion HAS become an even more touchy subject(think 9/11) but treating popular fiction in such a defensive mode isn't going to help. I recall reading this last year and what a phenomenon it was. So many who thought it was real ( i was one of them until i realised that all his books follow the same basic plot line so it couldn't be anything except a tool to make sensational news and therefore greater book sales) So. I do wish people would stop making a big fuss over the show and just go enjoy it as a summer movie (i.e. plain entertainment). Worldview shattering symbols and clues? A thriller and an adventure awaits...

* By the way. Wolverine and Agent Ethan Hunt don't exist either.

Exam Fever... or not?

How do you make some one worry about their exams when their own school apparently doesn't care??? I mean... seriously, which school has their sports day the weekend before their exams??? Ok, so maybe primary students don't need as much time as us to study (is this even true?) seeing as they have a lot less t er...study? I'm certain that when you were in Primary 3, it probably took more than a weekend to stuff everything you've learnt back into your heads...

Perhaps I'm taking this from the wrong viewpoint... perhaps the school wants their students to take a well-deserved break before their exams, and sports day is the best for students to just take a break and partake in good wholesome fun and forget their studies for a few hours. I approve of that, but honestly, I do wonder...

Things to be desired

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantmentit is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.


Max Ehrmann, Copyright 1952.

Different kinds of Exhaustion

There is physical exhaustion, and then there is mental burnout. These are the two most common ailments of youth today. A further inspection will reveal that there are in actual, a variety of "exhaustion" and sub-categories.

For instance - Exhaustion to the point of boredom, and boredom to the point of feeling a general sense of lethargy aka GcE (Gradual change to Exhaustion)...

Also there is frustration, a lack of goal in life which also results in a slightly nastier version known as "I'm so sick of my life"... (usually mentioned in accordance to work life) which brings about the said physical exhaustion and/or mental burnout.

Of course there are also that blessed few which are happily exhausted which is usually brought about by physically and intellectually challenging things like projects, school and cca.

These are just some of the things in life that are currently bugging me. Get me haribo anyday (it's one of those sweets u can eat regularly without being sick of them), or failing that, werther's original (which u can get sick of soon) or even that, ricola's elderflower lozenges and then again... how about one of those imaginary chocolate confectionary from "Chocolat"?? Actually beard papa's is just fine. Or was it bread papa's?? Funny how candy makes u feel so much better emotionally. I suppose it's the after effect of reading PY's blog. All that talk about candy there. Skool's fun. Lucky all those who relief teach or are still in an educational instituition.

Drama Nite 2006

IMPORTANT

Dear interested persons esp. ex NY drama club members or otherwise:

Required: 6-8 persons to usher, particularly on Opening night, i.e. 5th May
Assuming that you all would also like to watch our juniors (and their juniors) in action on the second night.

Pls leave a note in the tagboard if you are interested, or email me...
I am also assuming that you all would luv the opportunity to er...dress up..like what our seniors did last year...
Suggestions are welcome of course. Please do spread the message... thanks.