now why didn't they teach me this in school?
i would have done a lot better in chemistry!
(:

What does one do with...

a 1-quart pie dish from ikea?

$60 worth of Tangs vouchers?



and an anchor necklace from Diva?

JoJo - How To Touch A Girl

i absolutely love this video by Jojo.
i cant believe that she's only eighteen!
bah. makes my life seem so meaningless and mundane compared to hers.
haha.
and i think she looks really good too.
especially her clothes. and her longggggg curly hair!
love love love the green dress paired with the purple belt.
haha.
i never thought a teenager would look good in leopard prints but lo and behold she manages to pull it off!
complete with skinny jeans and gorgeous red heels.
who said that you'd had to be rail thin in order to look good in skinny jeans?
speaking of which, i hope she doesnt fall prey to the pressures of being frightfully thin, as is the so-called standard of being a superstar.
she looks good as she is and the curves make her look sexy!
haha.


anyway, enjoy the video!
while i get back to my readings........
(oh my mundane life...)


my gosh. this has been such a girly ranting. ha!
but yes. let me have my fun. i'm one stressed out and over-stretched girl.

"I'm not a plastic bag"
by Anya Hindmarch

I WANT.

i hope Derick manages to get it for me.
HA.

i'm not one who clings on to the past but it just irks me and hurt me rather badly when i happened.
i know it's really silly to compare too but its not even about how much was spent.
i dont even know if i should spell it outrightly here, knowing that they might read it.
*sigh*
forgettid.
i shant do it here.
or anywhere else to anyone.
i'm just wondering if it'll happen again this year.
we'll see, in about 9 months time.



sorry for the lack of any updates here.
been rather busy with school work.
especially with all the looming deadlines and projects that need to be started.
haha. im not even talking about finishing it.
at least i've started with my paper mache.
trying to make three masks for my southeast asian art module.
cool huh. handing up artwork as a final "term paper".
but paper mache is a really time-consuming process!
waiting for layers to dry than applying the next layer...
not to mention sticky and gunky.
haha. but it does make me feel like im going back to primary school.


i'm still harping on going to perth in may.
i've only hinted about it to my parents and im very sure they know i want to go.
but so far no concrete response.
bah.
on the other hand, im not too crazy about travelling by a budget airline all alone.
all 5 hours of it.
boohoohoo.
oh well.
let me get through this last semester of my university life...
then we'll see.
HA.

today's bargain hunting turned out to be quite a success.
amy, michele and i, the chinatowntroppers (as coined by michele) spent a total of 6 hours in the same building and spent a lot of cash on frivolous trinkets:

Custom-made and personally designed necklaces
(sorry for the really pathetic picture quality though, i can assure u they look much better!)


we each made 2 and spent close to $90+ in total!

elastic belt + buckle = $2.20

we emerged from the building, tired, sticky and feet-aching,
but thoroughly satisfied and contented with our buys.
even lunch, of fried guo tie (dumplings), was tummy-comforting:

from a stall run by three chinese nationals,
12 pieces for $5

sugar cane juice was just normal, but at least it was a bug cup for only a dollar.


our next target for Bargain Friday:
Salvation Army thrift store

(:

so here i am in the computer lab of AS7 struggling to stay awake (michele beside me has already given in to the Zzz monster).

we had a unanimous decision of skipping our literature lecture, in case you were wondering why im here and not in some freezing cold obscure LT in nus.

oh well.

i tried to be productive by googling for project information.

but that got boring and i ran out of things to google.

or rather, i got lazy. HA.

nothing much has been happenning.

really boring actually.

now that jy has gone back to the land of hopping creatures,

no one will go out with me to do my whimsical wants.

except for michele though. i think. i hope. heh.

(speaking of which, we're going bagain hunting this friday! woohoo!)

anyhow, ive already started considering my post-graduation options.

yes, already. and not surprisingly, work isnt high up on the to-do-list.

haha.

planning to go overseas.

perth, hongkong or phuket/bali.

perth is definitely the highest on the priority list but unfortunately, finances and parents are going to be a very tricky barrier to cross.

shucks.

we'll have to see i guess.

sigh.

another 20 minutes to go before my tutorial starts.

we're going to be drawing thai flowers.

*bleah.

my art sucks.

and i had to go buy a sketchbook and pencil because i didnt bring mine.

but its not my fault!

the tutor didnt say we were going to be drawing this week.

so annoying.

wasted my $2.

:(

i hate the feeling leading up to his departure.


such a complicated mix of dread, frustration, resignation and hopefulness.

i think this coming and going arrangement is doing more harm than it is good.
he's been back since last year early november which makes it a grand total of about four long months that he's spent in singapore since then.

four months is a long enough time for the relationship to further develop and deepen.
and thats just what it has been.
and suddenly its all going to be taken away from me at one go.

honestly, it feels really crazy.

sigh.
looks like the countdown will be starting really soon...

alas, the impossible has finally come true.

i, the avid fan and enthusiastic advocate of levis jeans has turned to other brands to satisfy my need for jeans that fit.
skinny jeans from mango and zara have proven themselves worthy as they fit like a glove and are less expensive than good ol' levis.

levis also has no one else to blame but themselves.
one of my jeans, my favourite and first pair of 593, has expanded to the point of impossibility in putting them on.
my square cut too has fallen into that unthinkable category but is still wearable, for now.
i have another 2 pairs of 593s, barely worn and in pristine condition, taking up valuable wardrobe space.
(i just have to insert an advert here! anyone wants to buy? they're both size 24 but run kinda large actually. i think a size 25 could be a tighter and better fit actually. one has been altered though, but its still too long for me. the other remains wholly intact.)

so until levis comes up with better and nicer designs that FIT me,
(f.y.i, i cant fit the princess cuts which have the most gorgeous embellishments and details)
i shall have to look elsewhere to obtain what is probably my favourite article of clothing.

(:
and and and,
im happy that skinny jeans are in!
because now it makes finding jeans a lot easier, cause they now fit fit fit.
HA.
and why is it that i can wear zara and mango jeans size 32 but not their skirts at the same size?
stranger than strange aint it.

it almost seems like the chinese new year holidays never came because im falling back so easily into the routine of doing my readings, churning out essays and researching for projects.

that just goes to show how to pace of life in singapore is.
mindless and automated, its almost robotic and scary.
and this is coming from a university student, someone who has yet to step into the working world.
i can only cringe and imagine how it's going to be.

anyhow, i had quite a good cny the past few days.
reunion dinner,
watching the really boring channel8 cny variety programme (which is the same every single year),
gobbling down copious amounts of cashew nuts at each house i visit,
receiving red packets and then seeing who gave how much in the car,
tossing the lo hei and trying to pick out all the salmon sashimi slices inconspicuously
and of course the final tabulation of money collected.

shucks.
too fast, too soon.
doesnt help that the cunning and very sneaky NUS decided to put our mid-term break with the cny holidays.
*bleah.

photo time:
at my mum's brother's house, used to be my granny's house. we'd go there every first day of the new year for lunch. things have changed though. granny used to cook her famous pork chops which everyone would rush for. but its been pizza the past few years ever since she passed away...

more people added to the photo! more relatives from my mum's side. oh and the girl on my right in peach is my niece. and as you can see, she's as tall as me. HA. and she's only 12!

caught Norbit yesterday at the preview held at cineleisure orchard.
it was the kind of show that i wouldn't normally pay to watch.
or rather, as jy pointed out, i might have watched it (possibly at his request, not mine) and then complained and whined about how we actually paid good money to catch it.
haha.
so thank goodness the tickets were free. well. sorta.
the show consists of your typical slapstick, no-one-gets-hurt-no-matter-how-much-pain-is-inflicted-on-them, subversive and cringe-worthy humour.
oh and not forgetting the blatant racism and stereotypes strewn throughout the 80 minutes.
its the kind of movie one watches to de-stress or celebrate the end of the exams.
go catch it if you have extra ang bao money and you dont know what to spend on.
or if you enjoy watching excessive levels of cellulite and bulging and bouncing layers upon layers of fat.
hur.



anyway,
Happy Lunar New Year Everyone!
may each and every of my blog readers have a lovely year of the pig,
eat lotsa goodies and yummies
and collect enough ang bao money to last u for at least a month!
(:

i'm really quite proud of myself.

after procrastinating and putting off the idea (due to laziness and a lack of funds) for the longest time,
i finally decided to get down to actually making use of the kitchen.
what better to cook than my favourite type of food?

so here's presenting to you,
albeit in lousy quality grainy handphone photographs,
what the wongs and a chin had for dinner last night...

assorted tempura -
shitake mushrooms, asparagus and kani (crabstick)

japanese style curry with potatoes, onions, carrots and chicken thigh meat

and for the carbohydrate part, we have the cold soba noodles (the green stuff on the left hand side) complete with dipping sauce with seaweed and spring onions.

the reviews i got was encouraging and i possibly want to get my hands dirty again before jy leaves.
and im toying with the idea of making soup from scratch since i now own a blender.
heh.

cooking is fun!
(:

i've officially exhausted my bank account.
so much for my resolution to not spend until the ang bao money comes in.
hur.
but it was money well-spent.
i had a really good time with michele.
its been ages since we had a girly-shopping-day-out.
thanks girl.
you've constantly been there for me since our days in GB and JC.
now its my turn to return the countless favours!

met jy for dinner.
carl's juniors never fail to satisfy my cravings for avocado in the form of the guacamole burger.
and guess what?
we got preview tickets to catch Norbit next friday evening!
cool.
haha.
should be a riot.
and a well-deserved break given that i have TONS of work due next week.
not forgetting a test.
bah.

on a random note,
manicure and pedicure this sunday!
let's see if they last till chinese new year.
hur.
(:

i fully understand the statement about how our wants are never ever enough.
because i found the perfect skinny jeans in black.
but now i want it in white as well.
(interestingly enough, the white ones are $9 cheaper than the black ones. weird.)
haha.
such a typical girl.
but i highly doubt i'd be shopping anytime soon.
i need to wait for the ang bao money to come rolling in to replenish my drying account.
its time to start bugging my parents to visit the "long lost" relatives.
hurhur.
just kidding, im not thatttttttt evil.



anyway, today, something really unbelievable happened.
usually i only eat the fish from long john sliver because the chicken is always too dry and too hard.
but today, amazingly, at the really small hougang mall branch, the chicken turned out to be the best i've ever tasted.
the plastic knife cut through it rather easily and it was soft and tender.
i would even describe it as yummy.
jy and i were really pleasantly surprised.
perhaps its because the outlet was crowded and hence the food fresh.
but im hoping it because the cook does a good job frying up the golden pieces of oily goodness.
im definitely going back.
just to see if its the cook or its just my right timing tonight.
(:

the minute u say you're graduating this coming semester, inevitably the question will pop out from people's mouths,
"so what are you going to do?"
among friends and the people i know,
i'd usually laugh about it and say the same thing that probably a hundred of the other graduating students would say too,
"i have no idea!"

but with the chinese new year holidays (i.e plenty of home visitations) coming up,
i'm thinking i had better come up with a good answer.
by a good answer, i would mean something that is politically correct, not exactly lying, hopefully intelligent and "it's a job that will bring in the dollars" sounding.

sure they will say that it isnt necessary and want you to just say what you really feel and think because its ok.
righto.
and appear clueless and potentially jobless in the months to come after graduation?

i know it isnt ok.
at least i feel it isnt.
somehow i feel like im going to be sized up and scrutinized whether im good enough.
most possibly among the people who arent really familiar with me and expect me to be good enough or at least of a certain caliber.
tell them you're not doing honours and woohoo, that raises more eyebrows.

bah.
i just want to survive those houses and
enjoy the good eats at the others.

and
i want to go shopping.
heh.

i've been shopping lately.
perhaps just a little too much.
i would list my purchases but i decided against it least i scare myself.
thankfully, i didnt have to pay for everything myself.
hurhur.
but there's still more to buy.
like shoes and accessories to match my dress for CNY.
haha.
(oh stop rolling your eyes.)

on a completely unrelated note,
if you've got the money to spend and are hankering for a bit of pizza-ish grub,
head on down to California Pizza Kitchen at Forum.
jy gave me a treat (thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanks dearrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr) last friday
and it turned out to be better than our last visit.
then again, our last visit was last year in july.
but i digress.
service was impeccable and the food was delectable.
dessert was fabulous.
and the bill warranted the great food and time we had.
UOB card holders get 10% off too!
so do go check it out if you havent already.
i know i wanna go again.
(JY are u reading thisssssssss?)

maybe its just a girl thing that i think of marriage and getting married.
any feminist would probably scoff at my such thoughts and tell me that i dont need men.
but that isnt the point.
during a rather interesting conversation, someone brought up the notion of wanting to enjoy at least a few years of freedom, which was later clarified and specified as "financial freedom".
i suppose i couldnt help but feel a tad bit irked at the remark.
it, consciously or unconsciously, implies that im being an imposing figure who takes away this much revered entity called "freedom".
it also really doesnt help that we're in a long distance relationship.
as i have told many people, in the form of advice, it just isnt worth it to be caught up in a LDR if you know that it probably wouldnt end up with marriage.
the stress and distance doesnt justify.

dont worry, we talked about it and all is well.
but it really got me thinking.
am i really rushing into it? by just thinking and talking about it? by simply wanting it?
maybe im just worried that it isnt going to be easy to sustain a relationship for another 4 or 5 years without any concrete plans or at least intentions.
dont get me wrong, im not saying that im foreseeing we break up, but rather im being realistic.

*sigh*
only time will tell how the story ends up.
in the mean time, all we can do is listen, compromise, understand, endure
and most of all
LOVE.









i love you.

i've been wanting to sample the food at Sun with Moon Japanese Dining and Cafe ever since i heard about their delectable tofu cheesecake.
not just any other japanese cheesecake, but cheesecake soft and silken due to the addition of tofu and served dramatically in a bird cage.
now that's not something you get in any ol' restaurant, or even any of the more well-known japanese food outlets.
hearing my brother rave about the quality and quantity of the food and ingredients made my mouth water and got my brain chanting
"i need tofu cheesecake, i need tofu cheesecake, i need tofu cheesecake..."

I NEED TOFU CHEESECAKE!
(and whatever else they serve there, only because dessert always comes after a proper meal. bah.)

school has been relatively ok the past two weeks. really nothing that interesting to report.

except that maybe my southeast asian art module's lecturer is suspectedly gay, but he's a cool guy because our tutorials consists of learning how to draw thai art and learning thai dance and his lecture slides consists of three pages with words and the rest are pictures. oh and he comes into class 20 minutes late. hurhur. leisurely walking in.

ive only been for one jap studies lecture and its alright i suppose. we only did the mandatory japanese history lecture and watched a video. the video was, erm, rather interesting. haha. it was a mini-documentary about male escorts/club hosts in japan and how it is a very popular concept in japan today. tsk tsk. the japanese are kinda wacky in their interests sometimes. but i guess maybe their excessively high stress levels are to be blamed.

my film studies modules is kinda cool. we're having dr. wee again which is kinda nice because im aware of how she teaches and what she expects in her essays. if i keep it up and do the same as i did last semester, i might just get myself another good grade. so yay-ness for me. haha. we're not watching movies every week anymore though. focusing on other stuff like television shows and youth consummerism and advertisments and those sort of media. the first lecture felt kinda like an NM module lecture. haha. it should work out to an advantage since quite a bit of stuff overlaps. well, we'll just have to wait and see.

ok, someone tell me why Reading Visual Images (GEK 1025) is such a popular module? its absolutely insane! i know it doesnt have an examination but other than that, its not that easy a module. there are quizzes every 4 weeks and a boring old essay to write. and the lecturer is BORING. he speaks slow, walks slow, does everything slow! and the timing of 7 - 9pm is just torturous. by 8pm im already fighting back the ZzZzzZzzz monster. gotta remember to bring a good supply of sweets for the next lecture.

and finally, Knowledge Economies. had i known it would be taught by Sreekumar, i would have stayed at least a hundred kilometers from the module. the only good thing is that his powerpoint slides have improved tremendously. other than that, he's still the same. his thick indian accent is still just as unbearable and half the time everything is asking their friends "what did he just say?" and when he speaks fast, he's as good as speaking his native language. to top it all off, the topic isnt exactly easy. woohoo. looks like im in for quite a ride with this module.

tutorials are starting next week and i aint looking forward to it. *bleah. its times like this i wanna graduate.
but on the other hand, i rather keep on studying than start work.