desperate measures

desperate measures

8.30am, blurry-eyed and drowsy with sleep, I was sitting at my desk with a pair of scissors and a roll of surgical tape. No, I wasn't intending to commit suicide or anything. School isn't worth it.

Instead, I was cutting out tiny shrunk versions of tutorials with a million equations and graphs, and using the surgical tape to paste them onto a piece of A4 size paper. That's the cheat sheet for you. Hahaha.

Glenn decided that he needed his tutorial answers to be in his cheat sheet at the very last minute for his 9am paper, and I didn't have glue in my room. We contemplated super glue, Leukoplast tape (the one I use to tape my fingers during touchrug) and surgical tape.

It was absolutely hilarious, what we resort to. But desperate times call for desperate measures!

to be a rock star

to be a rock star

In case you missed me, here's 2 of me!
Hahaha, I found this photo from the BEP (Block E Production) screening,

and couldn't resist it. :D

hall living - part 2 (of 3)

hall living - part 2 (of 3)

Week 9: Block Production

This was the crazy week of filming for Block E production. I was the main lead (Gabriella) in High School Mus-EEKER 4. My role entails emo scenes, dancing scenes and slapping scenes.

I suck at the emo scenes. Seriously. Sometimes I burst into laughter even before the camera starts rolling. They have so many bloopers of me in the emo scenes. I just cannot keep a still face knowing that a camera is zooming in on me.

I am a hopeless dancer. My ankle was dying on me after an hour of practising spins and turns. My 20secs solo contemporary dance was probably the girliest thing I've ever done. And the couple dances would have been a failure if not for Andy (the male lead). Hahaha!

The slapping scene was traumatic! I had to slap him 7 times! 2 NGs and 5 takes, from different angles. I don't know who had it worst - me or him. Haha. It's alot harder than it looks!

Week 10: Worms in the Vacuum Cleaner

One Saturday, I got rid of two flying insects on the wall with the vacuum cleaner as usual. I thought it was the smartest move ever. Hey, look, I'm not afraid of bugs! I just have to confine them to the vacuum cleaner! Ta-da!

Then, just as I was returning the vacuum cleaner to the charger, I feel something crawling on my thigh. I looked down, and it was a BLOODY WORM! I looked into the vacuum cleaner (it's clear so you can see all your rubbish), and found 2 more worms crawling inside!

All my hair stood on its ends. I did the best thing I could - flick the wriggly thing onto the floor, vacuum it again, and chuck the vacuum cleaner out of my room. My MSN nick was this - "F*** THERE ARE BLOODY WORMS IN MY VACUUM CLEANER SOMEONE SAVE MY SOUL!"

And when Vernon (level 3 neighbour) saw it, he came to my rescue and offered to empty and clean the vacuum cleaner for me. I am so grateful for helpful and brave souls who are in hall on Saturday nights.

Week 11: Your Worst Nightmare

This is the worst thing that can happen to any girl living alone - ROACH in your room. I was horrified, petrified and terrified.

So I was folding my laundry one Tuesday night on my bed. When I pulled the towel towards me, the next thing I saw was that disgusting brown piece of shit staring at me ON MY BED! I let out a spine-chilling scream (my neighbour heard me from the toilet, which is at the other end of the corridor) and dashed out of my room, almost peeing my pants in fear. I was going to cry.

Thank God it was Tuesday night, and Glenn was staying over. Because 3 minutes later, my hero opened the door and thrust a wad of tissue with 6 brown legs sticking out towards me. "Squashed and dead, babe." I kissed him, changed my bedsheets, and dumped the towel back into the laundry basket.

The next day, I deposited Hippo in Andee's room, closed all the windows and turned my room into a gas chamber of Shieldtox. When I went back at night to vacuum and mop the floor, I found a DEAD BABY LIZARD behind the door. Rachel (my level neighbour) and I got rid of it with massive efforts and trembling hands.

I spray Shieldtox on the outside of my window panes every other night from then on.

Week 13: My Favourite Squatter

For the first time in the entire semester, I stayed in hall for 5 consecutive nights. Glenn and I were having some sort of study camp. We have competitions to stay up all night and to wake up bright and early. Surprise surprise, I'm almost always the first to wake up in the mornings! (But I sneak back to hall to snooze after class instead of joining him in the library. Hahaha.)

Laundry is a BITCH when he trains so often and the fact that boys are really smelly doesn't help at all. When he first took out his dirty clothes to dump in my laundry basket, I swear I almost fainted. But I think airing them outside the windows keep the bugs away, because on nights when I make him do this, there aren't even moths in my room.

I also hit the Sheares Gym for the first time because Glenn had the crazy idea of training at 10.45pm one night. I ran on the threadmill for 10 exhausting minutes while he did serious bench presses and pull-up and more boy things. Other than the nice air-con, I think gym is really boring.

Reading Week: It Never Rains, But It Pours.

So, one night when we decided to go out for a run at 10.30pm, I decided to leave the windows open because it has been a perfectly clear day. There were no dark clouds, no lightning, no thunder and no strong wind.

10 (him) and 4 (me) sprints up the hill later, we headed to the gym. Then, there was a loud sound - noise of gushing water. I happily assumed that some crazy dear soul was washing the floor outside. Because that's exactly what it sounded like! Strong jets of water hitting the floor.

Then, someone opened the gym door, and I saw the truth - the wind was howling and the rain was coming down in buckets! And, the wind direction coincides with that of my window. By the time we reached my room, one-third was the floor was flooded. Hippo was swimming in her cage. Okay, I exaggerate. She was scurrying around frantically the rain was coming down on her roof in drizzles.

Glenn mopped up the water for me while I whined and complained and expressed my general disbelief. Then I used the wet & dry vacuum cleaner to get rid of the remaining water, before mopping the whole room and cleaning the table surfaces. I love my mother for getting me the vacuum cleaner. It has been my best friend in hall.

Lesson to learn: You always have to clean your room periodically, whether you like it or not. Otherwise, someone up there will give you a sign or two. Like flooding your room on an otherwise perfectly clear night.

~

I do think I have had a full hall experience. I suppose I missed nothing at all, huh? Haha.

Post-Script: And this is a continuation of Part 1.

ouch

ouch

This is my newest and most painful of battle scars yet. I was running after a girl and had to make a dive for her on the try line, because prior to that, she stepped out of the field and I stupidly stopped for a second to look for the referee, who was nowhere to be found! So just as she was putting the ball down in the try zone, I leapt for her.

And landed with the ball on my stomach.

At that moment, I seriously thought I was going to faint from the impact. I lay in the try zone, groaning and rolling around for the longest time, while trying to tell Al to tell the ref that the girl ran out of the field. But later on Al told me I was utterly incoherent, except for the word "gastric" when she asked me what was wrong. Hahaha.

I think that was the closest I've come to fainting from pain. Actually, I wanted to faint because then I won't feel that awful lurching in my stomach. It still feels funny now, though I managed to get up after concussing for awhile and went in to play the second half. NO MORE DISHONEST TRIES FROM THEM!

It was only later on that I discovered the scrapes on my shoulder and knee. I think I sort of skidded on the mud ground, and the skin got torn off. The areas around the wounds are burnt, so it's horribly painful! Mommy has been the best nurse, dressing and washing the wounds for me.

Lesson to learn? Dive earlier, or run faster. And shout to the ref, no matter how hard you're running.

goals for the week

goals for the week

1. Study. At least 3 hours everyday, aside from lessons.

2. Run. At least once a week, besides training.

3. Time. Quality time together. Personal time for me.

4. Eat. 3 meals a day, no skipping breakfast or lunch. (This is going to be tough!)

5. Sleep. 7 hours a day, no less.

we go waaaay back

we go waaaay back

On a boat to Pulau Ubin, about a year ago.

Last Saturday, after handing up all my projects, I met Sarah and Peiyan for coffee and dinner. There were no big plans, no trip to town and no real purpose. We just wanted to sit down, talk, laugh and spend time together. Our friendship has lasted 7 years, and it's still going strong. Evenings like this, they're good for the soul.

from my window

from my window

4.20pm: The pouring rain.

6.45pm: Dusk.

breakfast date

breakfast date

Because we finally have a day off from school, trainings and tuitions, Glenn and I had a breakfast date! As much as we would have liked to sit back and watch the morning roll by after breakfast, the earliest we could manage was 9am. And that was when one of us woke up groggily and called the other. Haha.

We went to Holland V for the yummy nasi lemak, which turned out to be a lot less yummy than it was before. The scene was exactly like our second date, although the chicken was significantly smaller. And we're a lot less shy about teasing each other.

The pet shop held our attention for the longest time after breakfast. The puppies are incredibly adorable! I really miss Bubblez! We can't wait to bring that silly dog to Sentosa and chase her around the beach. Haha. Too bad, Hippo, you're too tiny and fast to be scurrying around the beach. At the rate you dig in your cage, I'm pretty sure you will end up in Mexico faster than I spray on my suntan oil.

But before you start calling me a bias pet owner... I bought Hippo a new cage! I've been thinking about it for ages, and when I saw the cage on a 2dollar discount after being overwhelmed by a love for animals upon seeing the puppies, I gave in and bought it. It's huge and kickass cool and the whole thing is pink! Hippo has been ecstatic in there, running and climbing all over the place, before she finally flopped down in a corner to pant. I think she's my favourite pet thus far! (And the most doted on one too.)

Hippo oh Hippo, you'd better not pee on my hand one more time. Because this is what I said to Glenn when we walked past Starbucks with the cage today: "Oh. No more Starbucks for me. I have to drink 10 lousy coffees from the can just so I can afford the cage." Haha!

Nasi Lemak Mini: Because Everything is Mini Now.

Hahaha I couldn't resist taking a picture of Glenn lugging the ridiculously pink cage in an unglam plastic bag across the road. At one point, the string broke and the cage dropped, and the hamster ball went rolling underneath the car. The sight of us trying to retrieve everything at once must have been hilarious. Even though it was not.

Holland V in a cartoon of colours.

And the yellow alley against a gloomy sky.
I realised I haven't taken proper pictures since I got my new camera!

Tada! Hippo's new cool cage! More toys for her on the way. :D

And she's found her favourite spot already.

ten dollar dress

ten dollar dress

Outfit for school on a glam day:
ten dollar dress from the Bazaar and bright shoes to brighten it up!
(Okay, I confess, I don't have black flats. NEED. TO. SHOP!)

Post-Script:

Bazaars are fairs that NUS constantly holds all over the school. It's usually below the Central Library, and it's so smart because it brings shopping to right where you are when you have no time to shop! I am not proud to say I spent $70 in 10mins there last sem.

sundays this way

sundays this way

Happily nestled at my desk. (:

After spending 2 weekends churning out assignments and projects, I finally have my lazy Sunday back! This is how Sundays should be - the rain falling lightly outside, the afternoon coming to an end, a warm cup of coffee to sip, a tummy full of durian, a book beside me, the TV in the background, a few good conversations on MSN and of course, typing out a happy, satisfied blog entry.

Although it's almost 6pm and I haven't done a thing in preparation for either my French test tomorrow or in contribution to my reflection paper due on Thursday, I feel completely at peace. Not one bit of stress. Because I know I need this.

Fridays and Saturdays can be crazy, but this is how I need my Sundays to be, in order to have a good week ahead. It's recuperation. It's recharging. It's sort of a mini rebirth. I love Sundays this way.

hall living - part 1 (of 3)

hall living - part 1 (of 3)

Week 1: Hall Food Sucks

The first thing I missed about home was the food. Objectively, hall food isn't all that bad. But compared to my mom's cooking, I think even Crystal Jade can't compare if I were to have it every night. I am a very fussy eater, and my taste buds have been spoilt rotten by my mom.

So the first week of hall life saw me having dinner 3 times with Glenn outside, and once with the touchrug girls after training. I was jumping with glee to head home for dinner on Friday!

Week 2: Homesick

I missed home terribly. Being alone in a room was strange. I missed having the TV noise and my parents' conversation in the background. Because I don't eat well at dinner, I'm hungry by 10pm, and I don't have the habit of eating supper. I couldn't sleep very well on the too-soft mattress. It was too cold at night and the whirring of the fan kept me up.

Week 3: Getting to Know You

I got to know more people on my level and from other levels. I decided to step out of my shell and went for Andee's 21st birthday party with the hall people. It was a lot of fun! Especially when the boys got drunk and started doing silly things on the dance floor. It was cool to know more girls from my block too.

These were friendships I enjoyed throughout the rest of the semester. (:

Week 5: Lessons on Laundry

I think this was the week when the new top-lid washing machine came in. It's the only washing machine that I know how to operate properly because it's digital and it tells you how long the washing is going to take! (Compared to the old front-lid ones that seem to take HOURS.) I was so glad that it's not in use most of the time.

This was also the week that I learn that the small bottle of Dynamo does not give you 62 washes (as stated on the bottle). I think I used half of it in like 5 washes because I had no idea how much detergent I was supposed to use for each wash. Praying that advertisements provide true information for once, I smeared massive amounts of detergent on dirty training clothes. And realised that it does not work.

Eventually I learnt that too much detergent spoil your clothes and the dryer creases dry-fit shirts permanently, so I only wash t-shirts, shorts, bedsheets and towels in hall. I lug the rest home every weekend. Haha.

Term Break: Pretty Convenient

I didn't think that I would spend a single night in hall during the term break, because home was so much more comfortable. Then on a Thursday, when training was canceled and I was still studying in school at 7pm with Glenn, I decided to stay the night so that we can continue studying the next day.

Walking back from the Central Library, going out to Fong Seng to get grocery and then finally going to bed with our heads buzzing with information was a good time together after him being away for 3 days at OBS with the dragonboaters.

Because I go home pretty often for tuitions, I didn't find hall all that convenient until then. Even though we slept in till 10am the next morning, we could still be at the library again by 11am! It made studying a little more fun.

~

And that's it for the first half of the semester. Until the next one!