Congratulations DAVID!

PMR results came out today, and my lazy bum of a little brother scored straight As!!! (Unbelievable?? Naww.. the dude's a self-proclaimed genius ;P). I'm really really proud of him and this post is just to say, GOOD LUCK SLOGGING, BABY BOY!! Muahahahaha... hm.

Another reason why I'm so happy : He demanded 100 bucks per A if he got straights, when I only got 50 for the same. So, mum agreed that if he got straights, she'd pay me the difference on what she originally gave ME. So now, I'm 350 bucks richer! Wooohoo!! Thanks, kiddo *grins wickedly*

Anyway, kudos to all those who took PMR and survived!! And all the best next year. You're gonna need all the luck you can get *evil laughter*

Ok, so it ain't that bad. But be prepared to work if you wanna make something of yourselves. Take it from the leader of Procrastinators Anonymous ;)

Once again, BIG HUGS to my smarty pantsy ickle baby bwadder who's all gwown up now. *sniffles*

33

1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?
Dyed my hair, produce a mini-concert :)

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Didn't make any. Too discouraging if I break 'em.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yep.. My aunt. Baby Ashley is SO cute!! :D

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yeah. My grandmother.

5. What countries did you visit?
Singapore. *rolls eyes*

6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
Discipline. Loads of it.

7. What date from 2004 will remain clearly upon your memory, and why?
3rd of July. Saw my grandma pass away.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting a "Passed with Merit" for my Grade 7 piano exam.. Or maybe finally understanding electronics? I don't know... *scratches head*

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being prepared enough for SPM. PROCRASTINATION KILLS, people!!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Illness? Yeah. Injury? Only minor ones.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
The final installment of LOTR!!! :D

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
No ones. Hehe.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
It's usually Dave's *grins*

14. Where did most of your money go?
To books and food :)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Being finally out of school... Getting my license...

16. What song will always remind you of 2004?
Ryan Cabrera's True :)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder?
Sadder... I won't be seeing so many of my friends anymore *sniffles*

ii. thinner or fatter?
Fatter. Blasted parties and their gorgeous food! Grrr.

iii. richer or poorer?
Surprisingly... Richer! *Colgate smile*

18. What do you wish you'd done more?
STUDIED!

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Gone online.

20. Did you fall in love in 2004?
No.. Just quitely badly in "crush" *grins*

21. How many one-night stands?
10000000000000000000. Hm. Aiks. Doesn't add up, now does it? :D

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Idol - both American and Malaysian.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Um.. no one. I actually like more people this year :D

24. What was the best book you read?
Should be one of Lesley Pearse's. That woman writes amazing stories.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Can it just be music related? That David actually loves Sinatra *grins*

26. What was your favorite films of this year?
The Incredibles and Shrek 2, I guess. The movies this year were nothing to shout about.

27. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not being so into that idiot I have a crush on.

28. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
Totally whack. As usual.

29. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Toss up between Joshua Bell and Colin Firth (I REALLY like older men :P).

30. What political issue stirred you the most??
Iraq and the American elections.

31. Who did you miss?
Lavi and Joyce.

32. Who was the best new person you met?
People - the MI forumers. Love you guys!

33. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004:
People aren't always what they seem... Things can change so quickly that you never know what hit you.

34. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"How did I fall in love with YOU?" ... Applies to all cases *grins at Julez*

A Note

I'm sure all of you have heard of the underwater earthquake and following tidal waves that struck South and South East Asia yesterday. It is difficult to take in the enormity of what happened - especially since Malaysia (thought to be relatively safe from major natural disasters) was hit as well.

I have two uncles and the families who are currently in Penang for a holiday. They are fine, but I still pray for their safe return anyway. To all those who read this, please join me in praying for all the people who have lost their loved ones. They need comfort now that only God can provide.

This post is just to remember all those who have lost their lives to the uncontrollable forces of nature. May their souls find the peace that God wishes to grant to all mankind.

Thank you.

What ARE Friends?

You know lately I've been wondering... What IS a friend? People say "Oh he's my friend", but in fact they hardly speak two words to him at a time.

"Friend" is a REALLY misused word, IMHO. And it's never struck me harder than recently. It just seems terribly odd when someone insists that you're friends and yet never bothers to make contact. I'd rather say that we're "acquaintances" and be done with it.

It's sad... But I guess some things have just got to be accepted. It would be nice, though, if people could be a little less quick to say the word "friend". Being a friend comes with enormous responsibility. You have to be there, no matter what, for the person you call a friend. Otherwise, what's the point? It's just too easy to say "We're friends", but at the end of the day... You know nothing about the other and in fact, you don't care enough to bother. So WHY call them friends? It makes no sense.

You don't have to be in contact ALL the time, but you still have to find ways to let your friends know you care, right? That's probably the most important thing of all. You call yourself a friend, well then BE a friend. It's not too much to ask. Is it?

Sigh. I'm just having a rant. I haven't been much of a friend to some either, so from now on I'm vowing to either learn to care enough, or not open my big mouth and say that I'm friends with so-and-so. It's better than being a hypocrite. Really.

If you have an opinion, I'd like to hear it...

Beware : Self-pity Zone

This li'l excerpt is from 10 Things I Hate About You... It's the second half of the poem Kat reads in English class. Oooh how DAMN appropriate. *mutter mutter... sigh*.


I hate the way you're always right,
I hate it when you lie,
I hate it when you make me laugh;
Even worse when you make me cry.
I hate it that you're not around,
And the fact that you didn't call.
But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you;
Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.


The last few lines are ZzzaaapppP BANG! on the dot. Y'know? Aiks. JULEZ! Help!! Self-pity mode :S Not good. Sigh.

Pics from S'pore

These are some of the pics taken in Singapore...

At the Singapore Zoo...



The gorgeous little jaguar cub. He looks so cute and cuddly, non? :)




This lioness was one of many that looked a thousand times better than the lions. Methinks they're like men in a way.. The lionesses were impeccably groomed while the lions looked dirty and scruffy. Hmm... *grins*




Anyone remember Timon of the Lion King? Well, this is the real life equivalent... One of the cutest little beasts that we saw :)


One of the nights' out...



The 5 of us at Holland Village - at some cafe called Siem Reap. IndoChine food... which was great.



In the car, on the way back from Holland Village.




Contest to see who can look the most stupid... Guess who wins hands down?? :D


East Coast Park...



A view of the beach. We spent an hour here cycling. Pity we didn't bring swimsuits. The water was gorgeous.


Orchidville...



Me and Ting. Twas a great experience!! Got to see my "tamer" counterparts for awhile *grins at own lameness*




And last but never least... My namesake. Gorgeous ain't it?? :D *AHEM* (The correct answer is Yes. *glares* ;P)

Greetings!

A Very Merry Christmas To All!!!

And let us not forget the REAL reason we celebrate... The birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Keep him in your hearts and thoughts this day. HE is the one who gives us cause to celebrate. Remember.....

"Unto you is born this day, a Saviour who is Christ the Lord" - Luke 2 : 11.

May God bless all of you abundantly!!

Love always,
Elaine

Holiday in "Kiasu-land"

It seems that I'm destined NOT to be in the house for the holidays this time. I only got back from Singapore yesterday, and I've only been at home for 12 hours since.

Anyway, about Singapore. I have only one thing to say: If you don't have the money to spend, DON'T BOTHER. Seriously, the only thing worth doing there is shopping and if you ain't got the money, there is absolutely no point. All it'll do is make you heartsick.

The thing about Singapore is, once you've seen the attractions, there isn't much else to do. Well, maybe except for the nightlife. But it's frustrating when you're underaged (and your mum doesn't trust FIVE teenagers to walk the less than 1 km from Orchard Road to the apartment).

Oh and travelling with adults? BIG no no. They're more confused than your average teenager. Honest! See, we made plans about what we were going to do, when we were gonna do it... and then one aunt had to have her say, and another..... Well you can guess what happened. All our plans got screwed up and we ended up not doing what we wanted to do in the first place. Sigh.

Anyway, here's what we did...

Friday
Arrived around 3 p.m. Ate and enormous Nyonya tea and dinner prepared by my absolutely smashing chef of an aunt (she's not a chef, really, but she should be :P).

Went to Orchard Road just to browse around. Hoped to find a good bistro or two but ended up in Starbucks instead. Sad.

Saturday
Had lunch in this place that claimed to sell "Ampang Yong Tau Foo". Grrr. Talk about taking a name in vain! Oh horror of horrors! Tasted more like keropok dipped in sauce. Ugh.

Went to the Singpore National Zoo. Whoopee. Would have been quite fun if it hadn't poured cats and dogs the whole way through. Saw some really adorable animals - namely meerkats and jaguar cubs. If I get those pics, I'll post 'em up.

Clarke Quay at night. They've closed down the theme park and it's now all cafes, pubs and restaurants. Oh and a bungee thingy. Which snaps you up into the air without warning. Pretty scary stuff. But none of us could go on it coz we'd eaten too much for dinner. Heehee. Had to go back early though - my six year old cousin needed her beauty sleep. Sigh.

Sunday
Church in the morning. Church of the Holy Cross, to be exact. The mass was pretty good; lovely church. And after mass we spotted an even lovelier boy :) Brown hair, grey eyes and a bod to die for *swoons*. Damn, I wish we'd followed him. But then again, feet versus bikes? No match.

Orchard Road in the afternoon. Borders, to be precise. Got 3 books for the price of two. Damn good bargain, I think :D And that place..! I wouldn't mind being locked in if a couple of lights were on *winks* Hung out at Starbucks. Again.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon trying to accost Singapore teenagers just to find out what the hell there is to do in Singapore!

The first lot we tried thought we were surveyors (or whatever they're called) and looked so scared that we all nearly died trying not to laugh. AND they had to keep on insisting that they thought we were Singaporean! Poor Dave had to actually get out his IC and show them the "MALAYSIA" written in huge letters AND the Malaysian flag at the corner before they believed us. Poor souls. Must've thought we were pranksters or something.

The next two we cornered pretty much summed it up: Singapore is a BORING country! Concise and accurate. I thank them for not wasting out time *laughs wickedly* [Disclaimer: This particular sentence was said by two SINGAPOREAN teenagers.]

ung out at this IndoChine restaurant in Holland Village that night. The Bailey's milkshake was heaven! And the food was pretty darn good too.

Monday
Great World Plaza in the afternoon - had some REALLY odd Italian food. Went to the East Coast Park after that. Cycled for about an hour. Dave tried some silly stunt and made me fall of my bike and Ting nearly ran over my fingers!!!! Surprisingly, I didn't get a single cut or bruise, although my right knee hurts like hell. Oh well. Twas funny anyway *grins*

At night? Orchard Road. AGAIN! Went back to Borders. Picked up 2 more books and Westlife's Live in Stockholm DVD. Couldn't decide where to go after that. Ended up walking quite a bit of the way up Orchard Road and turning back. Took an hour to get back to the apartment from Borders. Way to kill the legs.

********

And the next day it was back to KL :) One observation about Singaporeans though... They either speak really awful English, or they put on a horribly fake accent. At least those we came in contact with. I know not everyone's like that but ugh! You're Asian. Don't try to be something you're not. Oh, and the food SUCKS. Give me good ol' Malaysian food anytime. Ampang Yong Tau Foo indeed.

Singapore is very well organized. I like the atmosphere of the place. Maybe it's the trees...? And while it IS a concrete jungle, the architecture of the buildings make it extremely attractive. But then, nothing compares to good ol' KL in everything from food to fun. Right? RIGHT? *sings Negaraku*

[Do I get a medal for being patriotic?? Hey! We were singing Negaraku and Duli Yang Maha Mulia on the sidewalks of Singapore ok? At the top of our lungs too! At 12 a.m.! And no. We were NOT drunk.]

All the same it was fun. Mainly coz we cousins got to be together after so long. And it WAS a change of scenery (more good-looking *ahem* "sights" to see.. hehe).

Don't regret it though. I've never had so much fun being bored in my life :D

I Am BACK!

I haven't posted for a week. How odd.

Well, maybe not THAT odd. Considering that I've hardly been in the house at all since last Friday. Was in my cousins' place til Sunday, and out every day after that. I will also be going to Singapore for 5 days. Tomorrow. In less than 12 hours time. Yeeha.

Friday - Stayed over at Yin-Ting's place. Went mamak-ing with Sharm-o, Em, Steph, Ted, Dave and Sheryll. Stayed up talking, playing "good points-bad points" with the cuzzies til approx 6.30 a.m. next day. As per usual.

Saturday - Got up late, 1 something p.m. if my brain is working right. Went to Amcorp. Wasted my money on BrIan McFadden's debut album. (The guy's a whiner - no wonder he was never my favourite 'Lifer *rolls eyes*).

Dragged Duaney (my Aussie cousin who's 23 and shouldn't be called Duaney with a "Y", but I can't help it :P) along to Piccolo Mondo (or was it L'Opera?) at night. FINALLY got to see them forumers after ages and ages. And I got to see the Face behind the Stinger *grins*

Tried watching "Exorcist - The Beginning" but fell asleep less than 20 minutes into the show. Whooo. Says a LOT about that show, no? :)

Sunday - Saw Duaney and Aunty Avril for last time before they went to the USA. I must say I'll miss them. It's strange not knowing the cousins on me dad's side as well as I do those on my mum's. But Duane's an awesome guy - he learnt quite a bit of Malay in one night. *applauds* Good on ya, Duaney boi! *grins*

Yin and Ting stayed over at my place. Watched Deep Blue Sea first (Thomas Jane is HOT! *drools*) and Psycho back to back. Strangely enough, my DAD was the one who wanted to watch it. At 2 a.m. With us gorging on a bowl of chocolates right next to him. I think my dad needs a check up. Not normal behaviour. At all.

Monday - Went to Red Box with Yin, Ting, Dave and Sharm. Verdict: I canNOT sing anything more difficult than Mary Had A Little Lamb. Sharmy has incredible voice control. And David can sing. When he deigns to do it properly, of course. Poor Yin and Ting... We hogged the mic for WAY too long. Oh well. They got their own back with 'em Chinese songs. The three of us didn't understand a WORD :) Well... except maybe for "wo". Haha.

Tuesday - Had my hair highlighted. Yeah yeah. Got my dad to see that highlighting it ONCE won't give me cancer. Huh. I think the hairdresser must've been stoned or something, though. My hair doesn't really look dyed until I tie it up. Yep - that's right. She put more dye on the hairs that are hidden than the ones on top :P I can tell ya, it looks right weird. *rofl*

Wednesday - One of the best days of my holidays yet. Went to KLCC with Ju, Jen, Ee May and Xin Yi. Saw Ocean's Twelve. Checked out AND rated guys (no one higher than an 8, quite disappointingly :P)

But the second best part of the day was (the first being meeting up with the whole gang again after so many failed attempts at coordinating schedules... :P) the trip to Kinokuniya. I've FINALLY added to my Tolkien collection AND got the final installment of LOTR - The Return of the King extended version!!!! Woooohooo! All in all, a VERY good days shopping. Hehe.

Saw Kenny, Kok Hou and Michael at the Christmas do at Glad Tidings. Had a ton of fun there too. Those guys are insane. We were screaming, they kept on giving standing ovations. Needless to say: Center Of Attention :D I love Juwita Suwito's voice.

And the keyboardist - Eric Lee, I think his name was - was... *sighs dreamily*. Haha. Okay, I'm exaggerating. But he WAS good. Purely from a pianist's point of view, of course. Didn't see him close enough to include... *ahem*... other perspectives. *winks* Took photos with Jac and Nikki. Met Fiona too - that was good :)

Today - Washed the porch with mum and David. Did you know that if you hold a hose pointed up vertically the water falls like rain?? Heehee. We sprayed mum too - and she actually enjoyed it! Have I said I have a cool mum before? No? Well I'll say it now. MY MUM IS THE COOLEST!!! She also took me to see the Incredibles. Now I'm no longer in the group of "sesated" people who haven't seen it at least once. Haha.

So you see? Ain't that ample reason NOT to have blogged for so long? And to write a whole long bit of crap? Eh?

You may answer honestly. Especially since you've read this far. REALLY read. Not merely read the first line and skipped the rest til here.

*grins mischieviously*

Oh you wouldn't do that, now, would you?

Hehe.

A to Zs (Random)

Another random survey from Friendster..

--random--

Addictions: Chocolates, books, my compilations, TV, the comp, blogging

Bra Size: Um. It's definitely NOT 32A *grins*

Career choice: Sigh. Dentist it is.

Dream date: I can't decide between a cozy, dimly lit restaurant or a moonlight walk on the beach or just lying back and gazing at the stars....

Extracurricular activities: Reading (er.. that IS extracurricular right? :P), being totally glued to the idiot box, killing my eyes by being on the comp too long for my own good, going out with either friends or cousins

Friends (best): See post on "My Friends" and the picture under "Strange"

Grossest habit: Um.. I chew on my nails whenever I'm bored, I wear the same pair of shorts at least 3 times before washing 'em. Haha.

How old are you: 17. Going to be 18 in 2 months or so. Yippeee.

I live: In a dusty, dirty "little" town... Where the town council is obsessed with obliterating greenery and replacing it with gaudy lights. Not much to shout about, but it's all I've known and even though I don't like it all that much, I'm still emotionally attached to it, so.. yeah :)

Jobs held: David's personal assistant, maid, gofer

Kid closest to you: May.. my babiest of the baby cousins :)

Last place you visited: One Utama. My feet still bear the scars. Hehe.

Mother's Name: Audrey

Number of languages you speak: *sobs* Two.

Oldest memory: Me attempting to run away after having a fight with my parents. I was.. 3 years old. Yes. Three.

Pets: None. NONE! *cries* I want a doggie!!! :(

Quick fact: I find Colin Firth sexier than say.. Tom Cruise? :D

Rich or poor: Well.. duh. But I'm not fussy either way.

Sports played: Netball, bowling, swimming, a little badminton and a tiny bit of football a LONG LONG time ago.

Time of year you prefer: The Christmas season.. Love the holiday cheer.

Ugliest quality: My impatience and temper

Volunteer recently?: To do what?

Weather outside: Pretty good.. for the rainy season.

X is for: X Men! (Yeah.. I'm a lame-o maniac.. I admit it ;P)

Yearly events you look forward to: Birthday, Christmas, any holiday :P

Zodiac sign: Aquarius

Shop Shop Shop!

Boy. I am whacked.

Was out shopping from 10 this morning... left the mall at about 6.30 p.m. My feet hurt like HELL. Okay, so that was my own stupid fault.

Lesson for the day : NEVER wear heels when going shopping. No matter how comfortable they are.

The reason I went on this shopping trip was to upgrade my wardrobe. Hah! And what did I end up doing? Buying stuff for everyone else except myself. *sniffles*. Sigh. At least I've finished my batch of Christmas shopping.

Oh wait. DARN! I forgot about David! Eeks. Initially wanted to get for him *ahem* Calvin Klein underpants (yes Dave, we remember ;P) but mum said unless he was going to do a Superman, it wasn't worth paying RM75 for 'em. And I must say... I had to agree. Haha :D What to get for him ah? Sigh. No ideas la... :S

One consolation though - I got a dress from the tailor's and mum allowed me to make another and a skirt, so yeah. The day's not completely wasted.

To tell you the truth, the main reason WHY I never bought anything was - simply - that I'm just too lazy. It's such a bother to try on stuff (more than half of which don't fit for some *ahem* reason). Clothes in Malaysia are made for girls with size 20 waistlines and 32A chest sizes. Really. Ask any girl who doesn't have either one of the above and they'll tell you the same. S'no wonder I don't bother buying clothes anymore. If one part fits, the other doesn't. *shakes head ruefully*.

Ooh! Mum and I saw something really cool in One Utama today. There was this instrumental group from Ecuador.. Native Americans with the head-dresses and everything!. They were promoting their albums by playing some songs. It was SO good! The music was.. haunting, I think's the word. I love the sound of the panflute. Oooh *sighs*. Mum bought a couple of their CDs and a DVD. I'm really looking forward to watching that DVD.

All right. 'Nuff. I talk too much sometimes. Sigh.

Someone tie my hands up!!!

No More Books!! *sobs*

*Yawn*

This week has been one "disaster" after another. Shopping trips with mum have been deferred, plans to go to KLCC have been postponed (yet again :P), I have now run out of books to read AND my dad has refused to allow me to dye my hair based on the fact that "it is carcinogenic... you'll get cancer!!"

Right. Cancer. By colouring my hair - once. And I always thought it was the build up of the stuff that gets to you *rolls eyes*. Ah well. One can never argue with parents. It's a lose-lose situation, so why bother.

I'm DYING to get my hands on the remaining Tolkien books!!! I think I'm going to rot until next Wednesday when we (hopefully) finally make it to Kinokuniya. Sigh. Coordinating the schedules of 5 people is HARD. I think we've wasted a whole bunch of credit on just PLANNING this outing. Geesh. Yeah yeah. Anyone got lives on offer? Methinks we (at least I) need some.

Oooh the feeling of being book-less! It tears at your soul! Um.. well, not really. But I AM facing the prospect of very long and boring nights. Aiks. Not good for day.. or "night".. dream control.

Okay. I am VERY hungry now. Don't know why. So I'm going to go look for something to eat.

Then I'll have to figure out what to do with my poor book-less self for the next two or three days at least.

Being a bookworm can suck, sometimes :(

I've Finally Read It And...

I just finished reading the Da Vinci Code.

Just like my friends said, it was "unput-downable". The pace and imagination made a cover-to-cover read in one sitting possible (I finished it in just under five hours... um, yeah.. I know I'm mad). Whatever else may be said, Dan Brown is a fantastic writer. And the subject matter was fascinating.

But that brings me to another point.

Where is the line between fact and fiction? How do we know what is twisted, what is straightforward or what is simply a figment of the author's imagination? It's almost impossible to tell. More so since the content is... controversial at best.

As a reader, it was an incredibly thrilling ride. But as a Christian, it did feel more than a little uncomfortable. Even treating it as fiction didn't take away the distaste that the implications brought about. Regardless of whether it was fiction or not, something sacred was being... degraded, if you will.

Oh heck. The reality of it is, the book is written in such a way that, even when such thoughts pass through your head, you wonder... Is what I'm feeling based on truth or what I merely believe to be the truth? Because the bottom line is, it screws with your head. Horror and fascination are not as far apart as we like to think they are.

I've had friends who asked me to read the book then tell them what I think. It's a excellent piece of writing, no question there. But I'd take it as what it is - a novel centering around an enormously controversial conspiracy theory. Nothing more.

Don't question your faith based on a book. If you do, then... I guess it wasn't faith in the first place.

To those who've read it or have yet to, take what it says with a pinch of salt. After all it IS first and foremost a novel.

(I found this article quite interesting. IF you can't accept the book merely as a work of fiction, just take a look. It'll give you a different perspective. I'm in no position to say if it's any more accurate than the DVC, but check it out if just to quell your curiousity :
http://www.crisismagazine.com/september2003/feature1.htm . No harm doing so.)

This is Strange..

Back (L to R): Elaine, Jenna, Michelle, Shih Ping, Ju Li

Front (L to R): Jill Ann, Hooi Ping, Ee May, Priya

This picture happens to be part of the Form 5 section of our school mag's Editorial Board.

Okay.. This is the strange part:

1. Michelle was my best friend in kindergarten.
2. Jill Ann was my best friend in primary school.
3. Hooi Ping and 2 other girls were my best pals in Lower Sec.
4. The others are part of Insanely Sane - my "gang" now (Only exception is Xin Yi).

Now how much of a coincidence is that? I think it's majorly cool.

Don't you??

Randomness

Today was spring cleaning day.

I honestly had no idea that so much dust had collected on top of my cupboards. Talk about the best way to have a sneezing fit. I'm just glad I didn't tumble off the ladder!

Oooh! And it was such a marvellous feeling... dumping EVERY.SINGLE.ONE of my textbooks, workbooks, reference books.. in David's room. HAH! Now I have ample space for my book collection. Which, I might add, is going to be increasing significantly. Very, VERY soon. If I have my way, that is. Hehe.

Went through my wardrobe too. Aiks. I think I've taken out more than half the clothes to give away. I haven't used so many of them for a long, long time. They've just been sitting there and rotting. Funny thing is, most of my clothes were bought at least 3 years back. I hardly have any new ones. Even stranger still, I can still wear some of the stuff I had way back in primary school. It's either I was horribly fat in primary school OR I'm now thinner than I used to be. Or else I didn't grow. At all. Damn.

Watch BJ-The Edge of Reason last night. And I was just thinking... Wouldn't it be great if the stuff that happens to Bridget Jones actually happened in real life? I mean, where you can be the world's biggest screw-up AND still have people falling at your feet?

Anyway. Far as movies go, it sucked. The story line was crap. The whole thing basically rambled on from one thing to another.

BUT. I enjoyed it all the same. And why? Because Colin Firth is an INCREDIBLY sexy man! Hey, I may be young enough to be his daughter but there's no denying the fact that he is. He's sexier than Hugh Grant. I'm serious!!! I mean, fine. He ain't HANDSOME or anything. But damn! The man just OOZES sex appeal.

Now, don't go all frigid on me. I'm being perfectly honest here. *grins* (Or maybe I'm taking this older guy thing a tad too far.... lol).

Okay. I should stop before I furthur horrify the people who deign to read this. Lol.

Colin Firth.. Colin Firth.. Colin Firth..

Mary's Dream

I had a dream, Joseph.
I don't understand it, not really,
but I think it was about a birthday celebration for our Son.
I think that was what it was all about.
The people had been preparing for it for about six weeks.
They had decorated the house and bought elaborate gifts.
It was peculiar, though because the presents weren't for our Son.
They wrapped them in beautiful paper and
tied them with lovely bows and stacked them under a tree.
Yes, a tree Joseph, right in their house.
They had decorated the tree also.
The branches were full of glowing balls and sparkling ornaments.
There was a figure on top of the tree.
It looked like an Angel.
Oh it was beautiful.
Everyone was laughing and happy.
They were all excited about the gifts.
They gave the gifts to each other, Joseph,
not to our Son.
I don't think they even knew Him.
They never mentioned His name.
Doesn't it seem odd for people to go to all that trouble
to celebrate someone's birthday
if they don't know Him?
I had the strangest feeling that
if our Son had gone to this celebration,
He would have been intruding.
Everything was so beautiful, Joseph,
and everyone so full of cheer,
but it made me want to cry.
How sad for Jesus not to be wanted at His own birthday celebration.
I'm glad it was only a dream.
How terrible, Joseph, if it had been real!

I got this from my grandma. Ouch. Seriously, how many of us are guilty of doing this? Is Christmas merely another holiday when we add to our already large collection of gifts (half of which some of us don't use)? Or do we really comprehend and take to heart its meaning? Time to think about that.

Post-SPM Delight/Depression

I've been a weird mood this weekend. In limbo between being depressed and really ecstatic. And really tired, on top of the fact that my sleeping patterns have become horribly screwed up. I sleep at 5 wake up at 8. Does that sound really healthy to you? No? Didn't think so.

ANYWAY.

The reason for the "ecstatic" part is.... Okay, you should be able to guess the first reason. That's right. No more guilt about doing the stuff that I want to do but am not supposed to (although that kinda takes away half the fun.. lol).

The main reason though, is.... I've FINALLY got my OWN handphone. And it's a Nokia 6100. I never for the life of me thought that my mum would agree to it. Thought she'd make me settle for something a little less than 500 bucks. Have I ever said my mum's the coolest, most sporting, fantastical mum EVER? I haven't? Well now you know. (I had to pay half... but even then it's not as expensive as if I were to buy a cheaper phone on my own :P).

The depression?

Okay. Let's put it this way. Now that I have nothing to do, I have more time to think. And the more time I have to think, the more unwanted thoughts decide to creep in and take over. The main reason being, of course, that... that... well, for lack of a better word... idiota that I've been fool enough to have a silly crush on.

Can't believe I actually fooled myself into thinking that we could be friends. Well actually, I didn't. I knew from the start it wasn't going to last. But of course, I chose to hope. Hah. Or wait. That IS fooling myself. Darn.

So. I've learnt my lesson. Hope isn't really a good thing if you have doubts. VALID doubts. It just serves to make the crash back to reality a lot harder to take. And boy. If I hadn't been so busy trying to remember how hormones work, I would have noticed it a long time ago. As it is, it's only hit me now. Boom. Whee.

I'm going to make a resolution. I shall not bother him [damn, this is deja vu. I so feel 10 again :( ]. He wants to talk, he contacts me. Even if he doesn't realize the mess he's caused (all right, so it isn't ALL his fault), I'll feel better about myself if I didn't turn into some stalking, lovesick, duck-brained monkey.

To Dane: Brain me if I EVER mention "Jack" again.

Shih Chung: I think I'll just wait for the right "jeweller". The jeweller's supposed to find the jewel not the other way around, right? ;)

To the rest of the world.. this sums it up:

"I have my OWN soul - My own spark of divine fire!" - Henry Higgins

And now.

To convince myself.

Why Indians Can't Be Terrorists

I found this on Friendster and it was really rather amusing. I hope you keep an open-mind while reading this. It's merely a look at the behavioral patterns of Indians. Spot on in most, methinks. And before anyone questions how I would know.... I am an Indian. Don't look it, but I am. Well, half of me is anyway. And it says "Indian" on my IC, passport, school documents, whatever... So yeah. This is not being derogatory or anything. So chill and try and see the funny side ;)

1. We are always late, we would have missed all 4 flights.

2. Pretty girls on the plane would distract us.

3. We would talk loudly and bring attention to ourselves.

4. With food and drinks on the plane, we would forget why we're there.

5. We talk with our hands, therefore we would have to put our weapons down.

6. We would ALL want to fly the plane.

7. We would argue and start a fight in the plane.

8. We can't keep a secret, we would have told everyone a week before doing it.

9. We would have put our country's flag on the windshield.

And last but not least...

10. We would have all lined up to get our photograph taken by one of the hostages.

Now What Do I Do With All This Freedom...

Oh my god.

I.Am.Going.To.Explode.

The fact that I now have total (almost) freedom has yet to sink in. After 3 consecutive months of non-stop studying, NOT studying is feeling a bit strange. I have this awful urge to go pick up my Chemistry book and memorize the Reactivity Series. Or something.

You'd think I'd be a lot happier... Although I AM relieved beyond belief, I thought it'd be more EXHILIRATING than this. But heck. I'm not going to complain. I can now read, go online, watch TV go out, read some more.. All without feeling horribly guilty. (Which I was feeling a lot of during the exams :P)

What HAS hit home though, is that today was the last I got to see of most of the peeps I have known for 5 or more years. That's probably one of the reasons - if not THE reason - the "end of hell" isn't exactly thrilling me too much. Ooh nostalgia.

However, I have spent the time after 3.30 p.m. in a decidedly pleasing manner (eh? hehe). BOOK BORROWING!!!! (With a trip to Swensen's thrown in. I love my mum!! :D)

Unfortunately, I was only allowed to borrow five books. FIVE BOOKS. Shouldn't get me through the weekend. Hmph. I don't care. If I don't get any books tomorrow (me, Ju and Xin Yi are heading to MidValley for some post-SPM fun), I am SO buying some at the Pay Less bookstore in Amcorp Mall. And boy do you really pay less! Of course, they're second hand but whaddaheck eh? They're still readable!

Will have to postpone getting my Tolkien collection til next week. Insanely Sane have plans to either go see The Incredibles or catch and MPO performance. Aaaah bliss. Either one would be just as good :D

All righty. I've written WAAAY more than I originally intended (redundant? :P). Although, that IS usually the case with me anyways. Mistress of "not knowing when to stop". That's me!

I'll now go and catch up on some reading. Or maybe I'll watch Bridget Jones. Heck. I can do anything right now and it won't matter!

Boy, does THAT feel weird!

PS: To Shih Chung... S'ok I know you can count :P And DJ... Whoa girl! You've got a lot of patience eh..? Btw.. Thanks for responding, peeps ;)

Final Countdown

And so the Countdown begins. This time tomorrow I will not have a care in the world. Well, okay. Maybe one or two, but that's not the point.

Count with me people. There are officially 22 hours and 30 minutes left of torture.

(I'm only online coz I'm an addict. No computer = Dead Elaine. Really.)

Oh and just to take a leaf out of Ken's book.. er blog? (Hope you don't mind Kenny!!! *puss-in-boots eyes*). If you're reading this (and you must be otherwise you wouldn't see it..), leave a comment. Pleeeaaasssee? Just curious to know who bothers reading this...

And if you're a registered blogger, even better. I like reading ramblings just as much as I like writing 'em. If you have something of substance, so much the better. *grins* Can't say the same for this one but I never claimed to be "deep", anyways, so heck.

All right. I'll go hit the books for THE LAST TIME.

Whoopee.

*mutters* 22 hours 29 minutes 15 seconds...

SPM Woes

The last day of November. Two days before freedom. You know what's worse than waiting for a month? Knowing that you're so near yet so far from getting out of a living hell. And it is!!! A living hell, that is.

God, this whole thing's taken up so much of my life that I'm even dreaming about it. More like nightmare-ing. (Dreamt I got a whole bunch of Cs and Ds... and a B for English!!! Now tell me that's not a nightmare! Hmph.)

Time just moves so fast... But when it nears the end it slows down to an excruciating pace. So much that I've never wished for a "fast forward" feature so much in my life. Aiks.

Lucky sods who finished today. Damn, I wish I was in the Arts stream!! (Okay, so this one of the VERY few times but.. heck. It ain't fair!!! *whines*)

And the Malaysian Education Ministry is CRUEL! Way to make a student's life harder. Chemistry and Biology as our last papers.

*mutters* Not a moment's peace will they give us. Nooo.. That's just too much to ask. Grrr.

I know griping won't solve nothin', but heck. I've had it up to here *points over head* with exams. Back to back since the end of August. Who dares say that our lovely ol' Gov doesn't have the tiniest bit of a sadistic streak in 'em? Eh? EH? *glares*

You know. I should just go to sleep now so that tomorrow comes faster. But then, after that dream... I don't think I can fall asleep until my eyes force me to. Or I'll feel really guilty. (Ironic, don't you think since I'm wasting time on this blog... *rolls eyes*)

All righty then. I shall go and try to make sense of Termokimia.

God have mercy on me.

Boredom = Surveys

Another survey courtesy of Friendster :)

[p a s t]

1. When were you born?
It's 2 months and 19 days til my 18th birthday.

2.Where were you born?
In this dusty, crow-filled town called Klang. Where the Town Council seems to dislike real trees (beautiful) but love the plastic ones that can be lighted up (gawdy, ugly.. no, HIDEOUS...). Go figure.

3. What was your nursery teacher's name?
I was 3. I'm not likely to remember. I do remember my first kindergarten teacher's name though - Teacher Rose :)

4. What was your first pets name and what was it?
Unnamed fish. Lots of fish. Which I murdered by way of being too enthusiastic with the food.

5. What was your worst accident?
Um.. probably David stomping on my elbow and tearing the ligaments last year :P

6. What was/were your favourite cartoon(s)?
Aladdin, Donald Duck, the Sesame Street gang, Power Rangers

7. Who was your first best friend?
It's a toss up between Michelle Liew and Samuel Oh. I canNOT remember :S

8. When was the first time you ever went on a plane?
When I was um... between 5 to 7 la.

9. Who was your first boyfriend/girlfriend?
*rolls eyes* I'd rather not remember, thank you.

10. What was your favorite song when you were in primary five?
Probably one of the BSB's.

11. What was your favorite movie in primary two?
The Chipmunk Adventure (starring Alvin and the Chipmunks and Chippettes :P)

12. What did you want to be when you grew up?
A fashion designer. Huh. I can't draw to save my life.

13. What used to be your favorite color?
Black.

14. What was your favourite subject?
English.. when I got to write essays MY way. Not follow those stupid guidelines and make sentences. Hmph.

15. Did you ever wet your pants at school?
No.. but I puked on the first day of nursery. HAHA.

16. Did you ever get sent to the principal?
Yeah in Standard 4... Not to get into trouble though. Merely to advise me to concentrate on my studies and not bother about things like lockers, cheerleaders, bake sales... (The influence of too many Sweet Valley books. Hehe)

18. What was your worst fear?
Dad dying in an accident. This was after my uncle died in a gas explosion while trying to turn off the gas pipes on his ship in Port Klang. The sky was bright red that day. I couldn't sleep whenever I saw a red sky after that :S

19. What were your favorite toys?
My Barbie doll and Snoopy :)

20. Did you ever suck your thumb?
I did. But dad, being a dentist, made damn sure that I stopped before developing a class-two (re: bunny teeth).

[ p r e s e n t ]

21. What is your favorite movie?
The Lord of the Rings. Without a doubt.

22. What is your favorite song?
Right now? Er... Methinks it's still Whenever You Call - Mariah Carey and Brian McKnight.

23. Do you have any pets?
Yeah.

24. If so what are their names?
David *grins*

25. What is your favorite subject in school?
History, Bio, English

26. What color of hair do you have?
Black

27. What color of eyes do you have?
Dark brown

28. Do you still watch cartoons?
Yup... I love cartoons! (So sue me, I do :D)

29. What is your favorite tv show?
Can't decide between Idol, Queer Eye or CSI (either one)

30. Do you go online often?
Practically everyday, I think. Hehe.

31. What's your worst fear?
People I love dying. By FAR the worst.

32. What's your favorite color(s)?
Blue, cream, brown..

33. Where do you live?
Mangy ol' Klang. Still. :P

35. Do you have a bf/gf?
Naw... don't think I could handle one just yet. I'm content with pining for "Jack". *grins at Dane*

36. What's your favorite type of food?
Nyonya, Thai, spaghetti, curry laksa, kuey teow soup... CHOCOLATES!!!

37. Do you drive?
Yeah.. Hm. If you can call that driving la *rofl*

[ f u t u r e - ]

38. What do you want to be when you grow up?
What do I WANT to be? I wanna work with kids OR do something entertainment based. But it is not to be. I'm going to have to study dentistry and that's that. Sigh.

39. Do you want to go to university?
Of course. I sorta have to anyway :)

40. Do you want to get married?
If I find the absolutely right guy. Only then. (I'm notorious for dumping guys... wouldn't want to get bored of my husband too.. lol)

41. If so at what age? If not why?
Erm. Prefarably before 35 la. Haha.

42. Do you want to have kids?
Well sure. IF I'm married.

43. If you do drive what kind of car do you drive?
Um.. My mum's Wira. Like I said before, no way my dad's letting me near the driver's seat of his Camry :D

44. At what age do you think you'll live to?
120? :P

45. Where do you want to live when you're 25?
I don't know. If I don't have to move out, I won't.

46. What movie do you want to see next?
The Incredibles, The Terminal, Alexander

47. What are your dreams?
Nothing quite that great at the moment. Just hoping to finish SPM, STPM then the dental course unscathed. Then maybe I'll try and see if I can get that Scripture diploma. Beyond that... I'm not that far-sighted la.

Etena + H2O --> Etanol... (Too much Chem :S)

Ow. I was walking around the house like a zombie the whole of today. And no, this time it wasn't for lack of caffeine. (I had a frappucino from Starbucks on top of the coffee I regularly guzzle at home.)

The stupor was merely part and parcel of drinking too much. Yep. Alcohol.

Last night was, however, the bomb. Went to uncle's place to practice as a skit for the up-coming Christmas concert (up-coming = this Saturday (4/12)... and yesterday was the first practice *rolls eyes*). Ended up going "mamak" (some place called Kayu or something..) and then staying over at their place.

Now. Cousins staying together in a place where parental supervision is kept to a minimum is not a good thing. If you're a parent and don't want your kids involved in less-than-satisfactory activities, that is.

Bedtime was at 2 a.m. At 2 a.m. we had turned the TV room into a mini-bar that included a full bottle of Hennessy and 3 small bottles of whiskey... With F&N Apple and chocolate milk thrown into the mix.

I don't know about the rest, but the last time I had so much alcohol was in January 2003. Meaning my system isn't used to more than a bottle of KGB at one go.

With the exception of my alcoholic younger brother, the whole bunch (well the 3 of us who drank, anyways) were high within an hour. Throw an airbed into the mix and we were stumbling all over the place. Me and Sharm couldn't even walk in a straight line. And I've just realized that being high makes you want to laugh a lot. At everything. Whether it's funny or not.

(Note: The best time to play "Truth or Double Truth" is when people are tipsy enough not care but still not plastered enough to not know what they're saying :P)

We took photographs too, but we couldn't see straight enough to tell whether we looked good (I seriously doubt that) or not. Pity the ones with "stripping"* have been deleted. (Sharmin goes for a repeat of her 7-year-old "America's Funniest Home Videos" performance, but was stopped by fear of another fracture AND the fact that she wasn't quite that out of it yet. Hehe.)

But we do have one with David shirtless. One word: BOOBS!!! :D

*gasps* *chokes* *ROFLMAO*

Okay so maybe drinking until you're willing to tell a bunch of nosey cousins your deepest secrets is not such a good idea. I should be feeling a little guilty right now (I was, this morning) but it was too much fun to regret!

But really. If that was what being minorly-pissed is like, I shudder to think of what it's like to be drunk. Like completely wasted. Oooh boy. No wonder people say things they oughtn't. (Sorry Ting! Haha :P)

Here's to New Year's day then! :D

*Please take note of the inverted commas for those who actually took it seriously :P

Disclaimer: This is usually a once in a year affair. Does not happen on all occasions where there's an availability of alcohol.

Morning Brew

Ah... Saturday morning. The day which people usually reserve to sleep in. Sigh.

Not today though. Have papers today.

*mutters under breath* Those mangy... #&$*...

ANYWAY. I just did an analysis on why I had a bad headache the other day and I came up with this:

Lack-of-caffeine withdrawal syndrome.

I'm serious! I went through my daily routine, and the ONLY thing I didn't do that whole day (and only that day, mind) was drink coffee. Not even a cup!

And as if to prove my theory, the headache disappeared when I had a cuppa. (Without mum's permission, of course. She thinks that "too much coffee" is the reason for it. She's right, but not for the reason she thinks she is. Hehe.)

Okay so my theory may not jive with an actual medical explanation. I'm probably bs-ing myself, but hey, if it gives me an excuse to drink more coffee, why not?? :D

Eeks! It just occured to me that I'm not sleeping too well because... um... I think by now coffee has replaced the blood in my body. I have a coffee stream!!! Uh oh.

Can someone recommend a good head doctor?

I think I need one. Badly.

Survey on Moi

Saw this survey both on Friendster and on Jess' blog. I'm bored. Surveys fill in times of boredom. So... Here goes! :)

Color of most clothes you own:
It's a toss up between black and blue.

Number of pillows you sleep with:
Two pillows and a bolster.

What room are you in right now?
My parents. That's where the computer is. How sad is that? :(

What were you doing 12AM last night:
Watching My Fair Lady. For the 100000th time. I know. I'm a freak. So help me God.

How old will you be in 10 yrs:
27 going on 28... DAMN! That's OLD! :O

What do you think you'll be doing in 10 years:
Working. For dad. Or for myself. I haven't quite figured out who's going to be owning the clinics then. Haha.

Are you paranoid?
Oh, very :D

Do you burn or tan?
Tan.. I've got a little more melanin than is necessary to burn :)

Describe your wallet?
Milk Teddy!! :) It's black though. Doesn't really look like a Milk Teddy wallet unless you see the "Milk Teddy" written on it. Haha.

Your alarm clock?
MY MUM!! :D I can never hear alarm clocks. It's either I wake up myself, or mum wakes me up.

First kiss:
Was a dare. 'Nuff said.

First piercing/tattoo?
When I was 9. And that was a piercing, mind. I'm not into tattoos.

First enemy?
You know, it's ironic... I wouldn't say "enemy", but I didn't exactly like Lavi very much in kindy... But I love her now! :)

Last shoes worn?
My Puma slippers :)

Last thing written by hand?
Um.. a notice for mum from one of the clinics. Sigh. I'm the new secretary.

Last time wanting to die:
It was stupid but... 4/10/2003

Last time in love:
Hah! Never. Poor me.

Last time you thought about your past:
I always do.

Where did you go today:
Nowhere. Been stuck at home all day. As is the usual case.

What are you thinking of:
What to do after this.

Miss anyone:
Yeah.. Like crazy, but there ain't nothing I can do about it so... I'll leave it alone :)

-The End-

Garden-ing

I'm in a writing mood. Again. But AGAIN, a suitable topic is eluding me. Who says things always change? Eh? EH?

Okay nevermind. I'll just write whatever comes to mind.

*looks out the window*

We have a beautiful garden, you know? My mum's brilliant when it comes to plants. I'm not good with plants. I'm too impatient.

Don't get me wrong, I like digging and getting my hands all dirty and finding earthworms and stuff (that's one of the coolest things about gardening.. all the creepy crawlies you get to see :D).

I just hate the part where they have to be watered, and fertilized, and trimmed, and watered, and... you get the picture. Eeeh. Wasting my time. Could spend those extra 15 minutes, or whatever it takes, reading. Like, a couple of chapters.

But that said, I will never have a house without a garden. Concrete homes just make me feel so.. jailed. No matter how much I detest losing valuable book time, I hereby vow to at least make the effort to have a garden. And not too small a one either.

Oh well. Another New Year's resolution: Help mum in the garden so I get used to it.

Double sigh.

My Fair Lady

Writing about moral made me think of My Fair Lady. Y'know, the movie? The musical? Yeah.

And what has that got to do with moral, you may ask. Simple. This quote by the oh-so-irrepressible, "the most original moralist in England", Alfred P. Doolittle:

"What's 'e done? Ruined me, that's all. Tied me up and delivered me into the 'ands of middle class morality."

Woohoo.

That being said, My Fair Lady was a classic. IS in fact still a BRILLIANT FANTABULOUS AMAZING SPECTACULAR... er. Okay. So it was great.

What I love about old movies is that they have this timeless feel to them. Even the Sound of Music (cheesy as it was) remains one of my all-time favourites. The only part I hated in the entire movie was the garden scene..

"Somewheeree in my yooouuthh or childhooD... I musT have done something goooood.."

Goosebumps! And not the good kind neither!

That's why I love MFL. There isn't a moment in the show where I just want to dive under a pillow and wish I was deaf. Er. Well, except for the part where she goes (but this was in a good way):

"C'mon DOVER! Move yer bloomin' arse!"

*choke* *splutter* *cough*

And yeah. Freddie Eynsford-Hill is a PAIN. Cheeh. Any guy who says "darling" every other sentence should be shot. Really.

But the music - Mmm! Awesome stuff. The clothes, the era, the story.. and the DIALOGUE! Oh! Food for the soul.

And who else, who ELSE but Rex Harrison!! Booyaaah! The man's a genius! He totally DEFINED male chauvinist pig. He was so utterly arrogant that it was IMPOSSIBLE not to like him.

"Why can't a woman be like.. me?" HAHA. *wipes away tears*.

I'll admit, though I love Julie Andrews, that Audrey Hepburn made a fantastic Eliza. Although please do keep in mind that it was the absolutely astonishing Dame Julie Andrews who sang her songs.

And I guess it was rather apt that she didn't play Eliza. She's way too ... classy for that role. I don't know. I just can't imagine her doing the whole street urchin thing. Julie Andrews is sophistication defined. The way she talks, carries herself... Ooh la la! [Now now.. don't get me wrong, I'm NOT a closet lesbian.]

It's just that Julie Andrews is regal. She walks, talks and acts like a queen (which is why the Princess Diaries was right in the mould for her). And her voice. Damned whoever screwed up that throat operation. Buggers.

But I digress. Like way a lot. Lol.

My Fair Lady is a gem for many different reasons, but the biggest draw for me is and has always been Henry Higgins. Or Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins. (Have I said this? Nevermind. I'll say it again! :P) There is no one on this EARTH who can take that role away from him. Rex Harrison was, is and will always be THE Professor Higgins.

My Fair Lady IS Rex Harrison (although I don't think Henry Higgins would take too kindly to me calling him a "fair lady", but whaddaheck) and Rex Harrison is My Fair Lady. The dude made it his movie, far as I'm concerned.

Oh and this is my favourite song line:

"Don't wait until wrinkles and lines pop up all over my brroooww... Shoooww meeee nooowww!!!"

Hehe.

All right. I've been on long enough.

Toodles.

Moral My Ars... Love.

No matter how much explaining our beloved (but somehow delusional) government does, I canNOT understand how Pendidikan Moral will help make us more.. moral. In fact, what it does is illicit a whole lot of swear words from frustrated students who'd rather spend that little bit of extra time studying.

(Obviously I don't fall into the "studying" category... more like the "griping about having extra to study" category).

Honestly, though. What IS the logic of answering a moral values paper based on a textbook? Aren't moral values supposed to be about stuff you can apply in your daily life?

Should there even be a right or wrong answer, when certain values (though not in the scheme) can be accepted? How can you say one thing is right and another is wrong although both are applicable to that same situation - just that they're looked at from a different perspective?

The whole concept reeks. Where's the logic? If there is any, I just can't see it. Okay, I understand why they want us to study History. Learning about past patriots can be inspiring. Really.

(I'm a history buff. So sue me).

But Moral? Damned if I get it.

Who are you to say that a parent's duty isn't to "hormat dan taat kepada anggota keluarga" as opposed to "mengekalkan tradisi keluarga"?

[Translations: "respect and be loyal to the family" vs. "upholding family traditions".]

What, parents don't have to do that? Be respectful and loyal, I mean.

Sheesh.

There ISN'T any clear cut right or wrong in instances when both are moral values. There shouldn't be. People react differently to different things don't they? But that doesn't necessarily mean that one person is right and the other wrong. True?

It'd be worth it if it was another easy A. But unfortunately, the Powers that Be don't think being moral should come too easily so... heck. Another subject to pull down the grade.

Makes you really feel like being MORAL, don't it?

*mutters* Those &$%&*@!

Thank you.

(It's only polite to end this way, no? "Berhemah tinggi". *rolls eyes* Pish posh. Sod off. And then some. God, I love the Brits.)

Que Sera Sera..?

Have you ever thought of what things would be like, a year, two years, even 10 years from now? What YOU would be like?

I have. A lot. Are you surprised? Nah. I didn't think you would be.

I remember, as a kid.. I used to look in the mirror and try to visualize what I would look like at 16.

HAH!

If only the 7-year-old me knew. She would have run out and got plastic surgery or something done immediately. Hehe.

So much can change in 10 years. It's scary. I bear very little resemblance to the kid in the old photos (and there are many... my parents were photography mad when we were younger).

In fact, I looked like a Chinese baby through and through. Dad says he got dirty looks from people whenever he took me for walks around the field. In fact, he still does when he puts his arm around me in public :) Poor thing. The social stigma of having a daughter who's several skin tones lighter.

This wondering about the future thing. I can't help doing it! A lot of things I did years ago seem really unnecessary in hindsight, knowing what I know now. All those crushes, fights with friends, jealousy, the tears... Were they really necessary?

And that's what's so scary. What may be exceedingly important now, may hardly seem to matter, 2 or 3 years down the line.

Then again, life is meant to be lived in the moment. Right? So I suppose worrying is a dumb thing to do.

But I still insist on dreaming. Who knows... Maybe if I dream hard enough, I will meet the guy of my dreams - EXACTLY like he is in my dreams! :)

When A Woman Loves A Man

(This is one of the better songs on Westlife's Turnaround. Or at least one of the very few that stuck with me...)

When the stars are in her eyes
And the sun is in her smile
The only moment in a life
That happens the same time
Is when a woman loves a man

She'll be a mother and a child
Sacrifice her days and nights
And no other will exsist
She'll put her life in every kiss
When a woman loves a man

And you'll be amazed at when you're stumbling
She'll fight for you
And won't let you give in
She'll do all that she can
When a woman loves a man

A soothing breeze always blows
Somebody understands another soul
It's like the planets have aligned
Every sentence has a rhyme
When a woman loves a man

Oh, you'll be amazed how when
You're needing it
She'll fight for you
From the begining to the end
And she'll do all that she can
When a woman loves a man

It's the greatest gift of all
Knowing that unconditionally
She'll catch you when you fall
When a woman loves a man

When the stars are in her eyes
And the sun is in her smile
She'll be a mother and a child
But all at the same time
When a woman loves a man

She'll be your air
She'll bring you life
She'll make the sacrifice
When a woman loves a man

~ Westlife ~

21 Things To Do After SPM

1. Go on a book shopping spree!
2. Movie marathon - The Terminal, The Incredibles, Alexander... Oooh.
3. Dye my hair... anyone got ideas on a colour? Just not blue, green, purple, red or yellow, please :P
4. Clear out all the UNWANTED and UNNEEDED SPM books... and dump 'em in Dave's room! Muahahaha!
5. Get Westlife's new album - Allow Us To Be Frank.
6. Get rid of old/little-used clothes and upgrade my wardrobe :)
7. Learn how to cook properly.
8. Make cookies.
9. Try and see if I can match mum's chocolate cake.
10. Buy some more books.
11. Go for a MPO performance.
12. See a theatrical/musical performance.
13. Get a facial.. just for the heck of it.
14. Karaoke!!!
15. Catch up on all the TV I've been missing out on.
16. Sleep late, wake up later.
17. Go for Latte @ 8.
18. Reply all emails - they're LONG overdue. *looks guilty*
19. Download songs. I'm dying from hearing the same stuff over and over and over...
20. Plan a scary movie night and watch Stephen King's "It".
21. Get Tolkien's Unfinished Tales!

~ These are my plans for the time being... more to come, when my brain starts working again ;) ~

7 down, 4 to go

Boohoohoo!!!! My darlin' loooossssst! *sobs heart out*

Um. Well. All right. I'm over-reacting. I like Casey too, so I guess it ain't that bad. GO GIRL! :D

Physics paper was... *slits throat*.

I's NOT liking Physics. I's liking it even less than the Add Maths. *sniffles*

Bye bye another A! *waves forlornly*.

But hell. After this it's a home run til the end, baby! Only two worrisome papers to go. Ahaha! Elaine is excited! Can't wait for.. okay everybody memorize this: 3.30 p.m. 2nd Dec 2004!

Oooh oh I'm lovin' it!

Um. Did I just quote JT?? HEEEELLLLPPPP!!!!

All righty. More than enough one liners for the day. I'm just writing coz I can't NOT write. You know? You don't? Ok nevermind then.

*warbles* "Annndd nowww.. the end is neeeaarrr........"

60 Little Known Things About Me

1. I don't like dark chocolate.
2. I don't like chocolate with fillings (esp. mint, orange and strawberry)
3. Coriander leaves leave a bad taste in my mouth.
4. So do spring onions and celery.
5. Fish skin disgusts me.
6. I will eat fish if it doesn't smell.
7. I like durians, but not durian flavoured products.
8. I think cheesy ballads are cool.
9. The only reason I don't eat prawns is because I'm too lazy to peel 'em.
10. I wear less than a quarter of the clothes in my wardrobe on a regular basis.
11. I still read (and love) Enid Blyton books.
12. I was an F4 freak after watching Meteor Garden last year.
13. My one major regret is stopping ballet lessons.
14. My first celebrity crush was on Austin St. John - or better known as Jason, the Red Ranger.
15. I am a hoarder - about half the things I have, I don't use.
16. I look awful in pink.
17. I drive better when my mum isn't in the car.
18. I think golf is the most boring game invented - next to lawn bowling.
19. I'm more afraid of ordinary house lizards than I am of their bigger counterparts (like iguanas).
20. I don't fancy small dogs (eg. chihuahuas, shitzus etc.) as pets.
21. I had a crush on Aladdin, the cartoon character.
22. I say I like muscular guys, but 3 out of 4 of my ex-es are skinny. Very skinny.
23. I talk in my sleep.
24. I have mismatched ears.
25. I used to think the months were "February, January..."
26. Bon Jovi's "Always" is one fo the most romantic songs ever, IMHO.
27. I don't like red, yellow or white roses.
28. Ornaments, figurines, candles, don't do much for me.
29. Carson is my favourite of the Fab Five. I love his sense of humour!
30. I don't like talking on the phone.
31. I am very quiet unless I'm really comfortable.
32. If there is spaghetti on the menu, chances are I'll order spaghetti.
33. I can never tell if I'm flirting or not.
34. I can be clumsier than Mr. Bean.
35. I like singing in the shower because the water makes my voice sound better.
36. Repairman Jack reminds me of the guy I currently have a crush on.
37. I have 4 different diaries - all half full.
38. I like making lists, but I rarely stick to them.
39. When I was 11 used to sleep downstairs on the shelf next to the radio just so I could catch the late night show with Ross on Hitz.
40. I have NO public speaking skills.
41. I never conducted a single spot check as a prefect.
42. I don't like mindless action movies.
43. I have never been further than Batam Island.
44. I've had migraines since I was 9 years old.
45. Bad English turns me off.
46. I am a carbon copy of my dad - although I am a tad more disciplined than him! :)
47. I'm the easiest person in the world to shop for - books, chocolates or Famous Amos cookies will make my day.
48. Flowers are nice, but chocolates are better.
49. Of all genres, I like metal and hip hop the least.
50. My favourite psalm is Psalm 91.
51. I cannot control my facial expressions - especially when it comes to bad performances.
52. I can finish 8 novels in 3 days.
53. Rex Harrison is my all time favourite actor - solely for his performance as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady.
54. I don't like Hokkien mee.
55. I wanna go for vocal, dance and flute lessons.
56. I am doing my Grade 8 in piano, but feel like I'm still in Grade 5.
57. I am a lousy cook.
58. For me, Clay Aiken defines Idol.
59. The only things fishy that I will willingly eat are tuna sandwiches and fish balls.
60. Growing up scares me.

Me Darlings

Feeling a little nostalgic today, so decided to write about my friends. You guys make life worth it. Love y'all! Mwa mwa!

Okay. Ahem. There're 3 categories, basically about my best mates, my group of friends and my cyber friends.

I just needed to get this out of my system ;)

My Best Pals

Ju Li.
She's probably the sole reason I bothered showing up in school 90% of the time this year. I mean, heck. There's only so many times that one can hear the mole story before going crazy. Haha. Jokes aside, we're just totally on the same wavelength. Nobody understands me as well as she does. Fact: We think the same way (scary, eh Ju? :P) and I think we've been finishing each others sentences lately. Now how cool is THAT? :)

Lavinia.
My best choir pal. She made school life all the way through Form 1 and 2 worth it. It's a pity she had to go to Australia. She's probably one of the few people whom I can talk to about ANYTHING, knowing that she'll never judge and I'll always have her support. If you read this Lav.. I miss you, girl.

The Gang

This has 2 sections: The W.E.I.R.D Kambings in Forms 3 and 4, and Insanely Sane in Form 5. Basically the same people with one or two changes...

WK was made up of Joyce, Ee May, Jen, Ju and me. Main activities included sitting at the back of the class eating eclairs and gossiping. Oh, and writing heartbreakingly sad stories to Big Bro. All fake, of course. Hehe.

Insanely Sane includes the same people, with the exception of Joyce and the addition of Priya and Xin Yi . This gang is responsible for making an otherwise BORING "first" class come alive. Repertoire includes Malaysian Idol and boyband spoofs, and conversations that sound like they've just stepped out of the "Hamlet" or "Macbeth" or whichever book they're reading for Lit at that time.Here's a rundown of the peeps involved:

Ee May - Drama Queen, Dancing Queen. She's an excellent mimic and combine that with a hilarious sense of humour and with completely no self-consciousness, it's a perfect combo for a great entertainer. She's also extremely strong willed and knows her own mind, and I admire her 100% for that.

Jenna - One of the founding fath.. I mean, mothers.. of the gangs (Joyce and May being the others), she's definitely a little loose with the screws too (a good thing, this). I love her passion and her ability to feel so deeply about stuff. And also the way she incorporates melodrama into basically everything she does. The 21st Century Shakespeare. No doubt about that.

Joyce - My T.B! Um. That means True Blue. Her best trait? Loyalty. And I guess that's really what makes her more than a friend worth having.

Priya - Cute li'l kid. Or so she says. She's got a similar sense of humour to mine, so is it any wonder that we get along? One year's too short girly. Gonna miss you :(

Xin Yi - The Male Chromosome!!! Haha. All righty. ANOTHER literature freak. I tell you, she and Ju LIVE in Shakespearean times la. Honest. They talk in quotes. No conversation is completely without at least one quote either way. But I'll miss it. The mindless chatter and all.Sniffles.

Net Pals

Dane.
The crazy boy from Down Undah! My donkeyskee! My best net buddy!Never met anyone else with whom I can talk pure nonsense non-stop for hours and not notice the time fly by. And this dude calls me Cheekyskee. Pretty apt, but what can I do? He INSISTS that he has.. um.. "WMDs" and brings them up like, all the time! (Don't deny it, Daney boy.. you do :P) Although just between you and me.. I have this sneaking suspicion it might be another Iraq ;) Hehe. Aw heck. You know I'm just teasing don't ya? *mwa*

(PS: Daney... If you EVER dare say you're not worthy of Em again, I will personally bash your skull in. Grr. She chose you, babes. Meaning she thinks you are. Remember that.)

Yuen Li.
Or should I say Dr. Yuen Li, Low PhD? Haha. This guy is, to quote him - "29, looks 18, acts 12". And hm. Based on recent conversations, I must say I agree :) I've known him for around a year now, and the fact that we haven't lost touch speaks greatly of how mental he must be. Hehe. Seriously though, this fellow's English is like - WHOA! Put him and Ju in a chat and you'd think you've stepped into a 19th century novel. Honest! :) He's brilliant too.. PhD in molecular microbiology *whistles*. Oh and it's to his credit that he doesn't play up the age thing. Yuen Li.. I know I'm a sucky correspondent. I'll let you you win the next bowling game to make up, okay? *hugs*

The MI Forum Family.
I will NEVER regret the day I joined the forum. It takes all kinds to make the world go 'round, and you won't get any more diverse than the peeps in this forum.

To sbjess, evonc, pretty_petals, miloyalsupporter, Idolfan, Kenny, c.ry.us.nu.b, Leez, Datin Aryna, priest, Revo, jimmie118, meow, fanatico, Valen, baby_seed, karenRox, bayieng, hikari, lai_lai_katong and all those I've met at the Spectaculars and in Genting.... It was AMAZING meeting you guys. Thank you for the best Fridays nights I've had in a long time. Looking forward to next year ;)

The MSN gang: DJ, Jas, Winter and Trix... You guys made the afternoons and evenings bearable ;)

And in YM, Jen, Greg and Ken... Damn I miss that emoticon! Coz that's exactly what I feel like doing when I think of you guys :)

And to those I have yet to meet... mikey, Scorps, MIF and the rest... Looking forward to it. Really.

Faceparty
Paul, Indman, Kev, Kas, Mark, Matt and Saf... Great knowing you guys. You've brought an amazing amount of laughs and I'm really grateful.

-none-

Got up today with a splitting headache. Huh. Should be normal for me, except that I haven't had a headache in months. Sheesh. Shoulda known it wouldn't last.

I don't think any two days have been as boring as yesterday and today have been. Yesterday was so boring, that I can't even remember what I did! I'm serious. God... Cuckoo-ville, here I come!

Sniffles. Dave and Mum have gone to see the Incredibles. Lucky ducks. It's still a good two weeks before I get the chance. Sigh. Whoever invented exams should.. should.. "Go to that place down there!"- Thalia.

Sleeeep glorious sleeeeep! Although I think I've had too much of THAT these two days. So much so that I can't even sleep off this miserable headache. Ah heck. I'll quit griping. It's not like I'm not used to them sledgehammers, anyway.

Oh yeah. If anyone knows where to get any Repairman Jack novels, please tell me. I'm totally in love with that guy. Um. Yeah. Anyway. Any info would be appreciated.

Aiks. Now it's back to being bored. Ta!

Stuff

Yay! I can finally understand some of the Electromagnetic and Electronics sections of Physics. Whee! Okay, maybe I'm still a little blur here and there but heck. It's a vast improvement. At least now I have a vague, if not good, idea of how most of the components work. Phew. My cousin is a life-saver!

Say.. has anyone ever noticed that I'm crazy? From May to October, I never stepped in the cinema once. In this past one week (which is right in the middle of the SPM exams, mind) I've been to the cinema twice and watched 5 DVDs. Now. Can someone explain that to me? Because the logic is totally evading me right now.

But then again. Maybe I'm not that abnormal. I just saw Ee May's blog and she's almost as nuts as I am!! Looks like we're the 5D outcasts. The black sheep. The non-studyers! :D Gimme five, May!!! *piak*

I've been wondering... What does it mean when something happens, or you see something fun or interesting, the first thing that pops into your head is "Wait til __ hears this!" or "I can't wait to tell __". And '__' is the same person. What's that mean, eh?

I'm a Maggi Mee addict. Over the past couple of weeks I think I've eaten as much Maggi Mee as a Western food intolerant Malaysian in London. Damn. I hope that "eat too much Maggi can become botak one you know!" OWT is just what it is. And old wives tale. *gulps*

Oh joy. Now it's back to the (ugh!) books.

*yawns*

-untitled-

I just realized something over the last couple of days: Insecurity is a REALLY scary thing.

It can do things to you that totally screws your mind up. You start analyzing everything people say and worse, you get paranoid.

Nah uh. Definitely not a good feeling.

What do I have to be insecure about? That's the thing - NOTHING! There is nothing to be insecure about simply because there's nothing there! Does that make sense? Well, it does to me.

But see, knowing something and actually doing something about it are two completely different things. I've thought and thought about it, and nothing I come up with can shatter the logic I know to be the truth.

Anyway, it really is useless pursuing this. Over the course of time (um.. did that sound long? It's more like a couple of months :P), I've come to realize that I've been deluding myself all this while.

I mean, the whole IDEA of it is brilliant: Brains, talent, humour.. what else could I want? Right?

But no. David is right. The human connection is probably.. no, make that IS.. what counts. He asked, "You know him, but do you know his heart?" Um okay.. Not in so many words, but I was stumped.

Ah, the wisdom of younger brothers. There's an infinite amount of truth in that. I don't know HIM. I don't know what makes him tick, I don't know how he'd react to a beggar on the street.. And I don't know how well we'd get along if we really got close. Like, intimate close.

Coz I AM the notorious guy-dumper. Sigh. I admit it. I'm not proud of it, but I do acknowledge that I have an extremely, horrifically short attention span.

So I've decided to give it a rest. Yeah yeah.. I know. My "give it a rest"s don't usually last very long.. But bear with me ok? :)

Dental Care

My dad just showed me some amazing pictures. People with really bad tooth problems - discolouring, gaps, asymmetry of the face, stains, crowding, etc. - with all those problems corrected! And boy, let me tell you, some of the results - if not most - were brilliant, to say the least. Talk about a totally improved apprearance!

And the techniques used weren't all that spectacular - bonding and bleaching. Well, those are the general methods, but the techniques are more specific when it comes to actual cases. It really is nothing fancy, in comparison to the kinds of comestic dentistry available now (eg. implants... which can actually do wonders but cost a bomb). But really. The results speak for themselves.

Come to think of it, maybe doing dentistry won't be so bad after all. Making someone look better almost always makes them feel better about themselves, right? And the teeth are so important! Its hard to smile when you're self-conscious about what you project in that smile, no? I guess I WILL be helping loads of people. Might just make up for me missing the oppurtunity to do psychology! :)

Oh and guys:

Please visit your dentist regularly, at least once every six months, for a routine check up. You may feel that nothing is wrong with your teeth but in reality, you may never know until the tooth (or teeth) starts to hurt. And by then, you options may be limited to

a) Saving the tooth but spending money

or

b) Getting rid of it but eventually having to resort to the likes of dentures/bridges/implants etc. later on and spending a bomb.

Don't let your aversion to dentists stand in the way of good dental care. It'll save you a lot in the long run. And believe me, the amount you fork out for a regular scaling is merely a slice of what you'll have to pay if you let your teeth go to waste.

And I'm not saying this just coz I'm a dentist's daughter, mind you.

I share. I care.

- This community service message was brought to you by wildorchid17 -