6am in the morning.
Awakened by frantic calls of "help help! XXXXXX!"
Initially thought that there was a fight going on. Sat up and looked outside the window, to slightly burnt smell. Saw an uncle at the opposite block looking out. Nothing else out of the ordinary...Alarm bells rang in my head.. only slightly.
Just about to venture back to sleep when i heard the house phone ring.
THen, i knew for sure that something was up.
It was my uncle, calling my mom to tell her that our block is on fire.
Everyone hopped out of bed, but not to escape- more of to get up so that we could go downstairs to see what was going on.
Dad even went to brush his teeth, and mom changed her shorts. I called out to them to wait for me so that we could go downstairs together while i sauntered to the loo.
Suddenly, frantic calls from dad asking me to hurry... "come out now NOW NOW"
I dashed out of the loo ( i did wash my hands) and to the front door. Pandemonium- a policeman was urging us to leave our flats immediately plus neighbours streaming out of the door.
Fresh-breath dad (sigh, foul-mouth me) had already quickly grabbed a torchlight, car keys and keys to the house. All of us made our way downstairs, knocking on every door, calling the other neighbours to flee.
WHen we reached the carpark, we saw flames flickering at the 11th storey in the middle block. Someone was standing at the window, waving a cream towel and shouting for help. Firemen, policemen and the ambulance had arrived at the scene. Rescue had take place. Fortuntely, the firemen put out the fire fairly quickly and everyone was safe and sound.
Am grateful that no one was hurt in the fire, but certainly many lessons to be learnt...
It was ironic that it would take a crisis before we (or at least I) get to see faces i have never seen before despite living in the same block. Most of us were decked in grubby t-shirts and shorts, with hair touseled, just roused from sleep. Some more prepared neighbours, however, had handphones and cameras ready to snap any action.
RUmors were rife, and everyone was speculating the cause, which units were involved, who stayed in those units etc... information was shared freely among the neighbours and everyone was like friends... for that one hour plus at the carpark.
It was almost like a mini-kampong, right at the carpark...
The famous Chinese saying ("far water"' and "near fire") had never been more appropriate... If not for people at the opposite block/bus-stop who saw the smoke and called the fire department, we might all be burnt to death in our sleep.
ANyway.. also had no electricity for about 8 hours, plus sooty weird-tasting water from the taps.
Made me realised how spoilt and dependent we are on electricity and technology.
Very ashamed. But that didn't stop me from being really happy to have the lights, fans and internet back on.
Kudos to the firemen for their efficiency and to the foreign workers who worked tirelessly to restore electricity before night falls. Thank you!
Oh well... i think this mini disaster made us bond for a little while. I think i would be more friendly towards the neighbours in the future... afterall, our fates are tightly woven together... to put it crudely.. "if you can't escape, neither can i"
But BUT BUT! To end off on a positive note: we will definitely help one another in times of crisis. Yes. definitely. And after this incident, i think we'll all be more equipped and prepared...
Sunday, July 25, 2010
history
i love history.
the unexplainable swell of excitement and exhilaration sometimes, when reading about some event that happened eons ago...
Just met up with some old friends from the sec school choir, doing what we used to do alot- just hang out..and hum... and rot...and laugh over bits and pieces of memories...
Each of us seem to hold different memories of the past. And when together, we piece together an enormous quilt of entirety... a complete story of our shared past...
Realised that no matter how much each of us has changed over the decade (golly..)
one thing will never change- our shared history.
Treasured.
Contentment can really be very simple.
the unexplainable swell of excitement and exhilaration sometimes, when reading about some event that happened eons ago...
Just met up with some old friends from the sec school choir, doing what we used to do alot- just hang out..and hum... and rot...and laugh over bits and pieces of memories...
Each of us seem to hold different memories of the past. And when together, we piece together an enormous quilt of entirety... a complete story of our shared past...
Realised that no matter how much each of us has changed over the decade (golly..)
one thing will never change- our shared history.
Treasured.
Contentment can really be very simple.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Madness.
Mad mad rush to complete data collection.
Classic example of how procrastination is NOT the way to go.
Though findings are interesting... having to speak non-stop for 5 hours, and in Mandarin is more draining than I thought.
Doesn't help that school is starting next week...
I need to NOT talk.
HORRORS
Classic example of how procrastination is NOT the way to go.
Though findings are interesting... having to speak non-stop for 5 hours, and in Mandarin is more draining than I thought.
Doesn't help that school is starting next week...
I need to NOT talk.
HORRORS
Monday, June 14, 2010
A streetcreed named denial
Somewhere, the popular belief says
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Somewhere, the psychologists claim:
Talk about your pain, face the music, vent it all.
And psychologists, are not to be defied, denied, or denounced.
However, somewhere, a group of dissidents proposed that denial is the way to go.
And so a heated argument began, on that fateful day in that quaint little pub on the hill.
"Denial!?" Sharp astonished gasps emerged and murmurings soon filled the room.
A group of psychologists sniggered and turned their elegant educated noses up at this blasphemous suggestion.
The omniscient (self-proclaimed, if i may add) psychologist step in and declared, in his all-knowing crisp voice:
"Denial is an unconscious defense mechanism characterized by refusal to acknowledge painful realities, thoughts, or feelings. Hence, it is not healthy for an individual to embrace it"
(Fortunately for him, there was wi-fi and he managed to gain access in time, to dicionary.com via his lovely diamond-crusted iphone)
Denialists, afraid to offend the psychologists, bowed their heads together and began to discuss fervently. One suddenly called out: "Why poke at a gaping wound? Why would one want to worsen the pain?"
The impressed denialists cheered and everyone enthusiastically patted the brave speaker on his back.
"But you're not learning to cope with it! Its cowardice! You're running away from the problem. You MUST follow our way" The psychologists screamed in indignance.
The second brave denialist who was miffed by his pompous counterparts, retorted zealously,
"Are you sure that facing one's worst fears is the best? By grabbing the bulls by the horns... are you sure we won't be gored to death by the furious bull and be reduced to a bloody mess?" (The first brave speaker,as you would have guessed, was still nursing his back, which received myriad passionate pats)
"That's how we all learn to grow. It is not easy, but its the best way to go!" A saccharine voice rang out encouragingly. This psychologist blinked her bambi-eyes earnestly, eager to win over the hearts and minds of the defiant denialists.
"I have heard enough!"(and frankly, so have I) declared the third brave denialist. (the second brave speaker, you might not be able to guess, was still trembling, trying to recover from his impassioned outburst)
"We have decided that DENIAL is for us, and we shall hear no more from you psychologists!. Comrades, let us leave this place right away!"
The denialists cheered again and staggered out of the quaint little pub in high spirits (and yes, you can be sure that they did consume significant amounts of spirits), proud to have defended the new street creed.
"You're doomed, you ignorant fools" spat the psychologist, clutching his beloved diamond-crusted iphone in one hand and shaking his fist, with the other hand, naturally. (it was unthinkable to subject the precious phone to unforgiving shaking!)
"World peace!" cried out the psychologist with bambi-eyes, which were already brimming with tears of sympathy.
Disclaimer:
No psychologists were harmed in the making of this story
This is just a large distorted figment of the writer's overactive imagination - where a thought about denial metamorphosed into one odd ridiculous story.
*shrug*
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Somewhere, the psychologists claim:
Talk about your pain, face the music, vent it all.
And psychologists, are not to be defied, denied, or denounced.
However, somewhere, a group of dissidents proposed that denial is the way to go.
And so a heated argument began, on that fateful day in that quaint little pub on the hill.
"Denial!?" Sharp astonished gasps emerged and murmurings soon filled the room.
A group of psychologists sniggered and turned their elegant educated noses up at this blasphemous suggestion.
The omniscient (self-proclaimed, if i may add) psychologist step in and declared, in his all-knowing crisp voice:
"Denial is an unconscious defense mechanism characterized by refusal to acknowledge painful realities, thoughts, or feelings. Hence, it is not healthy for an individual to embrace it"
(Fortunately for him, there was wi-fi and he managed to gain access in time, to dicionary.com via his lovely diamond-crusted iphone)
Denialists, afraid to offend the psychologists, bowed their heads together and began to discuss fervently. One suddenly called out: "Why poke at a gaping wound? Why would one want to worsen the pain?"
The impressed denialists cheered and everyone enthusiastically patted the brave speaker on his back.
"But you're not learning to cope with it! Its cowardice! You're running away from the problem. You MUST follow our way" The psychologists screamed in indignance.
The second brave denialist who was miffed by his pompous counterparts, retorted zealously,
"Are you sure that facing one's worst fears is the best? By grabbing the bulls by the horns... are you sure we won't be gored to death by the furious bull and be reduced to a bloody mess?" (The first brave speaker,as you would have guessed, was still nursing his back, which received myriad passionate pats)
"That's how we all learn to grow. It is not easy, but its the best way to go!" A saccharine voice rang out encouragingly. This psychologist blinked her bambi-eyes earnestly, eager to win over the hearts and minds of the defiant denialists.
"I have heard enough!"(and frankly, so have I) declared the third brave denialist. (the second brave speaker, you might not be able to guess, was still trembling, trying to recover from his impassioned outburst)
"We have decided that DENIAL is for us, and we shall hear no more from you psychologists!. Comrades, let us leave this place right away!"
The denialists cheered again and staggered out of the quaint little pub in high spirits (and yes, you can be sure that they did consume significant amounts of spirits), proud to have defended the new street creed.
"You're doomed, you ignorant fools" spat the psychologist, clutching his beloved diamond-crusted iphone in one hand and shaking his fist, with the other hand, naturally. (it was unthinkable to subject the precious phone to unforgiving shaking!)
"World peace!" cried out the psychologist with bambi-eyes, which were already brimming with tears of sympathy.
Disclaimer:
No psychologists were harmed in the making of this story
This is just a large distorted figment of the writer's overactive imagination - where a thought about denial metamorphosed into one odd ridiculous story.
*shrug*
why, where, how shall she begin
Why?
After bidding goodbye,
will she return
Back to this page
where she scrawl, her scattered snippets.
Where, then?
After such long absence
shall she begin
Right on this page
of drying anticipation -
how she abscounded, her readers abandoned.
How, now?
After rusty synapses, choked with debris from unspoken thoughts
can she continue ...
After this page,
And once again, prose deludes.
May the myriad isolated flashes of murmurings
edge their way in
Find yourselves a spot, fellows. She knows not how.
Of why, of where, of how would she begin-
Escape-is-it!
Hence the music start the tone
the melodies, along with words unfold,
the murmurings the heart unfurled,
the meanderings down a face wrinkled.
Hope you like the songs.
Said she.
After bidding goodbye,
will she return
Back to this page
where she scrawl, her scattered snippets.
Where, then?
After such long absence
shall she begin
Right on this page
of drying anticipation -
how she abscounded, her readers abandoned.
How, now?
After rusty synapses, choked with debris from unspoken thoughts
can she continue ...
After this page,
And once again, prose deludes.
May the myriad isolated flashes of murmurings
edge their way in
Find yourselves a spot, fellows. She knows not how.
Of why, of where, of how would she begin-
Escape-is-it!
Hence the music start the tone
the melodies, along with words unfold,
the murmurings the heart unfurled,
the meanderings down a face wrinkled.
Hope you like the songs.
Said she.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
No way.
Trembling.
Wary of the tiniest leak.
Silence bursts through the cords
Screaming not to be heard.
Shame on you! Who?! Snigger!
Scorn swells, folds start to seal.
They swirl, down the sewer, where they belong.
They shrivel, GONE.
Woven.
So tight.
Not blood nor air enters. Nothing leaves.
Oh oh! Dead space.
Oh oh! Shunt.
Limp.
Hiding in shadows.
Comtemplating.
Ready to raise, let it flap?
Only then,
Perhaps, will the white sheath
Forever: defend.
Wary of the tiniest leak.
Silence bursts through the cords
Screaming not to be heard.
Shame on you! Who?! Snigger!
Scorn swells, folds start to seal.
They swirl, down the sewer, where they belong.
They shrivel, GONE.
Woven.
So tight.
Not blood nor air enters. Nothing leaves.
Oh oh! Dead space.
Oh oh! Shunt.
Limp.
Hiding in shadows.
Comtemplating.
Ready to raise, let it flap?
Only then,
Perhaps, will the white sheath
Forever: defend.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thought processes and paranoia
In case my computer crashes.
Questions to ask
What is language?
Complexity of language- processing, production, comprehension,
What is bilingualism? The variables: Low and high proficiency? Age of acquisition? Environment and practice
Neuroanatomical representation of language:
This paper will examine the representation of language in different domains? – processing and production, comprehension, lexical semantic?
Things to consider:
-Different theories to date
-complications due to variables, types of tests
-is single-word generation representative? How natural is language in that kind of testings? But still useful to have a baseline?
-some limitations- eg. fMRI cannot examine inferior temporal gyrus (p 180) due to interference with magnectic field.
Review the research- different hypotheses put forward
Lateralization- no studies provide coherent explanation. No proof that bilingual brains are any more asymmetrical than monolinguals
Convenient to fall into the trap of thinking that bilinguals are just two monolinguals combined.
The studies on aphasia- different kinds of recovery cannot fully explain bilingual brain
From testing subjects with disorders (brain undergoes shifts and adjustments after injury) to normal-functioning subjects
Old: lesion studies, electrical cortical stimulation (Penfield and Roberts 1959)
New ways of testing- non-invasive neuroimaging testingPET, fMRI, regional cerebral blood flow ERPs (event-related brain potentials)
Phonological loop and working memory
TOT- tip-of-the-tongue phenomena
What is convergence?
One-system hypothesis (single network hypothesis)
Petride’s 2 level- hypothesis: automatic vs controlled retrieval process. (meaning that if your L2 is not proficient, you will not be able to retrieve it automatically. Conscious searching required and that explains for the increased activity)
For grammar-related= age acquisition
For lexical-semantic= proficiency
Recurring areas:
Basal ganglia
Left Dorsa lateral frontal cortex
Left putamen
Inferior frontal gyrus / anterior insula complex
ACC- anterior cingulated cortex
Pre-frontal cortex
Temporal pole
Inferior parietal cortex
Brodman’s Area (9, 46, 47)
(note page 249)
Right hemisphere (pragmatics for both monolinguals and bilinguals?)
Working memory and phonological loop? (hippocampus and grey matter density?)
Implicit language competence and explicit metalinguistic knowledge
Singapore context- acquisition acquired within a brief period and has under formal settings? (school) –motivation?
Introduction......... ??????
Oh yes.
I have no idea how to begin writing this essay.
Questions to ask
What is language?
Complexity of language- processing, production, comprehension,
What is bilingualism? The variables: Low and high proficiency? Age of acquisition? Environment and practice
Neuroanatomical representation of language:
This paper will examine the representation of language in different domains? – processing and production, comprehension, lexical semantic?
Things to consider:
-Different theories to date
-complications due to variables, types of tests
-is single-word generation representative? How natural is language in that kind of testings? But still useful to have a baseline?
-some limitations- eg. fMRI cannot examine inferior temporal gyrus (p 180) due to interference with magnectic field.
Review the research- different hypotheses put forward
Lateralization- no studies provide coherent explanation. No proof that bilingual brains are any more asymmetrical than monolinguals
Convenient to fall into the trap of thinking that bilinguals are just two monolinguals combined.
The studies on aphasia- different kinds of recovery cannot fully explain bilingual brain
From testing subjects with disorders (brain undergoes shifts and adjustments after injury) to normal-functioning subjects
Old: lesion studies, electrical cortical stimulation (Penfield and Roberts 1959)
New ways of testing- non-invasive neuroimaging testingPET, fMRI, regional cerebral blood flow ERPs (event-related brain potentials)
Phonological loop and working memory
TOT- tip-of-the-tongue phenomena
What is convergence?
One-system hypothesis (single network hypothesis)
Petride’s 2 level- hypothesis: automatic vs controlled retrieval process. (meaning that if your L2 is not proficient, you will not be able to retrieve it automatically. Conscious searching required and that explains for the increased activity)
For grammar-related= age acquisition
For lexical-semantic= proficiency
Recurring areas:
Basal ganglia
Left Dorsa lateral frontal cortex
Left putamen
Inferior frontal gyrus / anterior insula complex
ACC- anterior cingulated cortex
Pre-frontal cortex
Temporal pole
Inferior parietal cortex
Brodman’s Area (9, 46, 47)
(note page 249)
Right hemisphere (pragmatics for both monolinguals and bilinguals?)
Working memory and phonological loop? (hippocampus and grey matter density?)
Implicit language competence and explicit metalinguistic knowledge
Singapore context- acquisition acquired within a brief period and has under formal settings? (school) –motivation?
Introduction......... ??????
Oh yes.
I have no idea how to begin writing this essay.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Farewell 2008
Its the very last day for this year, thought it would be good to do some pondering...
Just wanted to note this before I forgot, read it in a magazine while getting my new hairdo:
"The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese"
Very true, isn't it?
Anywayz...Fared well, 2008?
Just wanted to note this before I forgot, read it in a magazine while getting my new hairdo:
"The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese"
Very true, isn't it?
Anywayz...Fared well, 2008?
- completed marathon (nmind the timing!)
- scaled a mountain
- experienced via ferrata
- tried wide water rafting
- fulfilling year in school
- going back to study full time
- secured scholarship
- keeping friends, making friends
- went on a holiday
- eating well, keeping well
2008- year devoid of turbulence, just gurgling, bubbling ripples along the way. Year of simple contentment, of neat room , of regular exercise...
My resolutions for 2009 are also simple:
- Be the best student i can be
- Care for and be patient towards family and friends
- Train hard for marathon
- Join a mini-triathalon?
- Save more spend less
- Listen more, talk less
- Do more, dream less
- Give more, demand less
- Smile more, frown less
- Sleep more, eat less!
Finally... to be optimistic, contented and grateful for every thing, any thing that comes my way.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Messing Around.
While my once pristine room is still being buried with my mess from school...
here i am again, trying to bury myself in denial...
How could I have accumlated so much stuff in just 4 years?! I must have spent hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars on all those paper, craft, stationery, containers, baskets and files... If anyone needs pens, post-it, folders, drawing block, colored paper, flashcards, VCDs ETC... you know where to visit.
I have already postponed cleaning for weeks, all because i can't bear to even THINK how i can move my stuff around.
Actually my room was so clean that i know where to find my things. I know exactly where to find my old choir scores and year books. I know exactly where my old zo-cards and boxes for gadgets are...
But NOW? NOOOooooooo!!!
Jeez... really trying to reorganise my whole room to accommodate my "investment"...
And i swear i have given at least 75% of the stuff away to my colleagues...
How can i make the mess go away without throwing bits and pieces of my past away? (And I have already thrown away 4 bags last night...) I am thinking of throwing out NIE notes next...
Anyway... while trying to avoid the topic of room cleaning, i popped in for a shower and thought of my colleague's son. Lovely boy diagnosed with autism. While i was sitting alone guarding the sacred ang pow box, i observed him when he came into the cafe-he was skirting around DOME during another colleague's ROM. I nearly laughed out loud when he blew at a middle-aged lady's hair (one of the guests... i just wonder what propelled him to do that. She was his one and only 'target') He then roamed around abit more and curled up comfortably in a chair.
Later that night, he lied down flat on a sofa in the cafe. I pointed out to the mom brightly (in my mind all i was thinking-he was really making himself comfortable) But his mom's first reaction was to ask him to get up. (oops... there i was, treating him like a special kid... big mistake...)
Anyway... guess my long-winded story... is not the main point...
Observing the boy led to another thought: autism in literature.
I am not referring to recent stuff such as Rain Man, Elijah's Cup or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time... I am more curious about older works...
I am not a well-read person, hence i am not sure what has been written in the past about autism. During a time when autism was not so well-known or understood, how would authors depict them? How do writers during that time make sense of some people across other spectrums?
Did a small little research on history of autism:
The history of autism goes as far back as 1911 with Eugen Bleuler a Swiss psychiatrist first coined the term. However that term applied to adult schizophrenia.
In 1943 Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins University described autism for the first time. He based his discovery from 11 children he observed between 1938 and 1943. What he studied were children who had withdrawal from human contact as early as age 1.
During the 1940's through the 60's the medical community felt that children who had autism were schizophrenic. This lack of understanding of the disorder lead many parents to believe that they were at fault
During the 1960's people began to understand autism and more precisely identify autism and the treatments.
Well.. too tired to delve more into this topic... perhaps another day.
here i am again, trying to bury myself in denial...
How could I have accumlated so much stuff in just 4 years?! I must have spent hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars on all those paper, craft, stationery, containers, baskets and files... If anyone needs pens, post-it, folders, drawing block, colored paper, flashcards, VCDs ETC... you know where to visit.
I have already postponed cleaning for weeks, all because i can't bear to even THINK how i can move my stuff around.
Actually my room was so clean that i know where to find my things. I know exactly where to find my old choir scores and year books. I know exactly where my old zo-cards and boxes for gadgets are...
But NOW? NOOOooooooo!!!
Jeez... really trying to reorganise my whole room to accommodate my "investment"...
And i swear i have given at least 75% of the stuff away to my colleagues...
How can i make the mess go away without throwing bits and pieces of my past away? (And I have already thrown away 4 bags last night...) I am thinking of throwing out NIE notes next...
Anyway... while trying to avoid the topic of room cleaning, i popped in for a shower and thought of my colleague's son. Lovely boy diagnosed with autism. While i was sitting alone guarding the sacred ang pow box, i observed him when he came into the cafe-he was skirting around DOME during another colleague's ROM. I nearly laughed out loud when he blew at a middle-aged lady's hair (one of the guests... i just wonder what propelled him to do that. She was his one and only 'target') He then roamed around abit more and curled up comfortably in a chair.
Later that night, he lied down flat on a sofa in the cafe. I pointed out to the mom brightly (in my mind all i was thinking-he was really making himself comfortable) But his mom's first reaction was to ask him to get up. (oops... there i was, treating him like a special kid... big mistake...)
Anyway... guess my long-winded story... is not the main point...
Observing the boy led to another thought: autism in literature.
I am not referring to recent stuff such as Rain Man, Elijah's Cup or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time... I am more curious about older works...
I am not a well-read person, hence i am not sure what has been written in the past about autism. During a time when autism was not so well-known or understood, how would authors depict them? How do writers during that time make sense of some people across other spectrums?
Did a small little research on history of autism:
The history of autism goes as far back as 1911 with Eugen Bleuler a Swiss psychiatrist first coined the term. However that term applied to adult schizophrenia.
In 1943 Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins University described autism for the first time. He based his discovery from 11 children he observed between 1938 and 1943. What he studied were children who had withdrawal from human contact as early as age 1.
During the 1940's through the 60's the medical community felt that children who had autism were schizophrenic. This lack of understanding of the disorder lead many parents to believe that they were at fault
During the 1960's people began to understand autism and more precisely identify autism and the treatments.
Well.. too tired to delve more into this topic... perhaps another day.
Monday, December 01, 2008
A First
Tendered my very first resignation letter today.
No matter how old one gets, there will always be a first.
I guess that's what keeps life interesting.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Reflection
Did my appraisal report today and wrote a whole lot of chunk.
Now that I am really leaving... feel that I will miss them dearly...
Loads of stuff to do... unconscious stress surfacing again... in my dream, or should i say nightmare.
Going for interview next week! *sweat*
Experienced people out there, throw me some commonly asked questions... and give tips on how to impress the interviewers!!! Help help help!
Thank you
Now that I am really leaving... feel that I will miss them dearly...
Loads of stuff to do... unconscious stress surfacing again... in my dream, or should i say nightmare.
Going for interview next week! *sweat*
Experienced people out there, throw me some commonly asked questions... and give tips on how to impress the interviewers!!! Help help help!
Thank you
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Lazy Saturday
Rainy, cool day.
Had tuition in the morning, had lunch, came back home, watched korean dramas on mysoju (which is absolutely enjoyable now that I have upgraded my broadband speed!) Went for dinner with parents, lazed around more.
One of my colleague will always ask me on monday- "How's your weekend?"
Most of the time, my reply will be nothing much. Went for jog/gym.
Which is true for most weekends.
But i love such weekends. Nothing tantalising or taxing. Just a nothing-weekend.
Perhaps that's why weekends are defined by "Saturday" or "Sunday"
Saturday coz you did nothing all day. You are supposed to tell others " I sat a day away"
And Sunday. "i basked in the sun."
Details on my Korean drama:
Finished watching "Couple and Trouble". Like most Korean dramas- silly decisions made by silly protagonists which made the show drag on. But you know its a happy ending and you wanna know how it came about. Well. So we are silly viewers waiting for the obvious result. Its drama.
A few of my colleagues love Korean shows as well. One of them greeted me "Anyohaeseyo" twice in school. On the second day she used that greeting, i was presented with a great shock... or surprise: A junior pupil from another class saw me in the toilet. And he shouted "Anyohaeseyo!"
Told you they had magic ears and eyes.
Started Conversational Malay last Tuesday. Quite fun and interesting to know more about this language. It should be very useful in Singapore. And I was quite surprised to realise that German, Japanese and Malay have very similar vowel sounds.
Lust for language learning has returned. Feel like picking up Korean too.
Going for Singapore Bay Run tomorrow. Not sure if i could complete... think my knee/hamstring still cranky. And creaky. 10km has been my max distance clocked so far. haha
Anywayz... just see how it goes. Nothing can be worse than that 1st marathon experience. Right?!
Going for audition again on Monday night. Wondering if im supposed to sing the same song?!
Haven't practised...
Looks like it can't be a lazy Sunday.
Had tuition in the morning, had lunch, came back home, watched korean dramas on mysoju (which is absolutely enjoyable now that I have upgraded my broadband speed!) Went for dinner with parents, lazed around more.
One of my colleague will always ask me on monday- "How's your weekend?"
Most of the time, my reply will be nothing much. Went for jog/gym.
Which is true for most weekends.
But i love such weekends. Nothing tantalising or taxing. Just a nothing-weekend.
Perhaps that's why weekends are defined by "Saturday" or "Sunday"
Saturday coz you did nothing all day. You are supposed to tell others " I sat a day away"
And Sunday. "i basked in the sun."
Details on my Korean drama:
Finished watching "Couple and Trouble". Like most Korean dramas- silly decisions made by silly protagonists which made the show drag on. But you know its a happy ending and you wanna know how it came about. Well. So we are silly viewers waiting for the obvious result. Its drama.
A few of my colleagues love Korean shows as well. One of them greeted me "Anyohaeseyo" twice in school. On the second day she used that greeting, i was presented with a great shock... or surprise: A junior pupil from another class saw me in the toilet. And he shouted "Anyohaeseyo!"
Told you they had magic ears and eyes.
Started Conversational Malay last Tuesday. Quite fun and interesting to know more about this language. It should be very useful in Singapore. And I was quite surprised to realise that German, Japanese and Malay have very similar vowel sounds.
Lust for language learning has returned. Feel like picking up Korean too.
Going for Singapore Bay Run tomorrow. Not sure if i could complete... think my knee/hamstring still cranky. And creaky. 10km has been my max distance clocked so far. haha
Anywayz... just see how it goes. Nothing can be worse than that 1st marathon experience. Right?!
Going for audition again on Monday night. Wondering if im supposed to sing the same song?!
Haven't practised...
Looks like it can't be a lazy Sunday.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Content. Me Gloria, you Jean
I Guess that to be able to think thematically is quite unrealistic. For me at least.
Hence another random entry about random thoughts.
Perhaps there is nothing significant enough for me to want to stay on track, to elaborate on that one singular thing. To be fickle (in the mind, that is) takes less effort, less focus and more variety.
Hence more random thoughts.
Its almost like the 1812 Overture's fireworks blasting off in the head.
As I was telling 'Jean' at Gloria Jean while waiting happily for our coffee (together with carrot cake and scones), its not that difficult to be happy. Is it?
At least at the moment, waiting for the coffee, listening to the music, staring at the decor, snagging those cute black plastic forks,spoons and knives make me happy.
Thinking about English names for one another is a great laugh.
Dinner at Dian Xiao Er is yummy...
Watching Couple or Trouble now makes me quite contented. Listening to and watching Ah Bu on TV makes me absolutely happy (by the way, if you google for "ah bu", my blog will appear as one of the first few search results! Poor adorable ah bu, no one else writes about you?!)
Cycling at East Coast, dashing along the empty park connector is so relaxing. Eating BK breakfast is satisfying. Exploring Japanese Garden (on feet) that day is nice. And I like picking up saga seeds scattered on the floor.Taking naps is great. Having a clean room pleases me. Hanging out with friends is fun and fulfilling.
(Ah Bu on TV again. So darn cute!)
Well... of coz there are not-so-nice things like not receiving news, not liking to sing, writing 17-page minutes, having sickening hair, spotting round face, tummy etc etc etc etc...disgusting parking (non-)skills...
Still...there are probably more things to be pleased about
Now there's only left with authentic Korean Ja Jang Myeon to make my day.
Hence another random entry about random thoughts.
Perhaps there is nothing significant enough for me to want to stay on track, to elaborate on that one singular thing. To be fickle (in the mind, that is) takes less effort, less focus and more variety.
Hence more random thoughts.
Its almost like the 1812 Overture's fireworks blasting off in the head.
As I was telling 'Jean' at Gloria Jean while waiting happily for our coffee (together with carrot cake and scones), its not that difficult to be happy. Is it?
At least at the moment, waiting for the coffee, listening to the music, staring at the decor, snagging those cute black plastic forks,spoons and knives make me happy.
Thinking about English names for one another is a great laugh.
Dinner at Dian Xiao Er is yummy...
Watching Couple or Trouble now makes me quite contented. Listening to and watching Ah Bu on TV makes me absolutely happy (by the way, if you google for "ah bu", my blog will appear as one of the first few search results! Poor adorable ah bu, no one else writes about you?!)
Cycling at East Coast, dashing along the empty park connector is so relaxing. Eating BK breakfast is satisfying. Exploring Japanese Garden (on feet) that day is nice. And I like picking up saga seeds scattered on the floor.Taking naps is great. Having a clean room pleases me. Hanging out with friends is fun and fulfilling.
(Ah Bu on TV again. So darn cute!)
Well... of coz there are not-so-nice things like not receiving news, not liking to sing, writing 17-page minutes, having sickening hair, spotting round face, tummy etc etc etc etc...disgusting parking (non-)skills...
Still...there are probably more things to be pleased about
Now there's only left with authentic Korean Ja Jang Myeon to make my day.
I like this
The Story Of the Pencil
A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point, he asked:
"Are you writing a story about what we've done? Is it a story about me?"
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
"I am writing about you, acutually, but more important than the words is the pencil I'm using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up."
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn't seem very special.
"But its just like any other pencil I've ever seen!"
"That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hand on to them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.
First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget there is a hand guiding your steps...
Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he's much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.
Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.
Fourth quality: What really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.
Finally, the pencil's fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should know that every thing you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action."
-Paulo Coelho, Like the Flowing River
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wait.
Time is a long time for those who wait.
Well. At least know whether the wait will stop in 24 hrs time.
Well. At least know whether the wait will stop in 24 hrs time.
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Its already 2021.
Because. Watched a video of a friend reading her poem. Prompted me to look for what i used to write. Waa laa... Here I am. Didn't ...
