long working weekend..

it's a sunday, but i'm tutoring for 8 hours.. from 8.30 am... wahhhh... and yesterday i had to wake up early too, to make my way down to Sengkang (the other side of the earth) to collect toys from a kind-hearted man.. now i need sleep...

but many thanks to this kind-hearted man and his family, for giving me so many toys.. too bad my box is too small for the children's table that he wanted to give.. but still, many many thanks.. and to biyun too, for helping me carrying all the toys back to my house.. =)

and for the first time, i received my first birthday present so many days ahead.. haha.. thanks auntie! it's not even November.. haha.. and people, please please please don't get me any Sudoku books.. so silly!! haha.. i can play the game online for free you know.. =P

ahhh.. time to rest my eyes..

i'm the Sudoku queen..

yeahhey!! i won! i won!! =) i won the Sudoku competition!! hehe.. although there were only 20-odd participants, but i still came in first!! FIRST!! wahaha.. and they were all so amazed that i could finish all puzzles.. *smirks*

but i thought i would get some big prize (think big money).. but only got vouchers.. aiya.. small competition, can't expect much.. at least the vouchers give me the excuse to go shopping and have a hearty meal.. hehe..

anyway i went to take the vaccine for chicken pox today.. don't laugh.. so old already still haven't got chicken pox before.. (>_<) it always seems to me that chicken pox attacks kids.. and i've survived 20 years without getting it.. and i'm not going to allow myself to get it.. so i went to take the vaccine.. but very expensive.. $65 for a jab, and i need 2 doses.. -_-""

never mind, i'm in a happy mood.. call me the Sudoku queen!!! haha..

jobs..

i'm troubled, by an assignment.. most of my assignments only require superficial brainwork, and i will be fine from all the brain damage after submitting them..

but this one.. i need to write a job resume for submission.. and it has got to be a real job offering.. i searched the newspaper and some online sites for one, that i would probably want to do when i graduate.. but i realise, that there is nothing out there that interest me..

i saw one offering by WorldVision asia regional office, for their regional humanitarian work.. it could be one kind of job i would wish to do, but then i was disheartened by the requirements that i would need to have..

flipping through the thick stack of newspaper, yet there are none that i want.. and many jobs need "at least a good honours degree" and "with years of experience".. hell, how am i going to get a job when i graduate..

back to the assignment.. i could have just choose any jobs and do the resume and submit it.. but i don't want to.. this is a prelude to a real-life crisis manz.. and what if i need to get my tutor to write a reference letter for my real job application?

oh man, life sucks..

lack of sleep..

the last time i didn't sleep for a night, was during my preparation for exams last semester.. that was about 5 months ago.. now the vicious cycle is coming back.. and i couldn't take it.. >_<"" i was rushing one stoopid lab report last night, and i didn't catch a wink.. and i felt so terrible in school.. wanted to sleep, but yet had to force myself to keep awake.. worse still, today's lessons were from 10am to 6pm.. non-stop.. no proper time to rest, no proper meal.. i could only get 10 minutes of sleep during the break of Prof Ip's lecture.. oh man, that was so pathetic..

and the rest of October is going to be a killer.. more reports, more assignments, more tests, and my kids' exams too.. arghhhhh..

enough of ranting..

everytime when people scold somebody else "cuckoo bird", it means that poor person is stupid.. but do you know that cuckoo birds are actually a smart bunch of birds? they practise something called "boot parasitism", where the mother cuckoo bird will replace her eggs in some other birds' nests, and let some other birds to take care and feed her babies together with theirs..

now, the smart thing is, when the baby cuckoo bird is hatched from the egg, it will push the other birds' unhatched eggs out of the nest!!! wah!! get rid of competitors in this way.. smart right??

so now you know, cuckoo birds are not stupid.. and never use "cuckoo bird" to scold people stupid.. haha..

mid-autumn festival..

happy mid-autumn festival!! =)



what a great way to start the day, with 3 hours of sleep, non-stop lessons from 10am to 6pm, a test which i think i fared badly, and long, tedious lab assays.. and to end the day with another tuition..

at least i got to eat a small piece of mooncake.. and tomorrow, i will chomp down more of them.. =D

it used to be quite eventful during the festival when i was a kid.. i remembered, there were big family gatherings, where all the kids came together.. i even remembered once we all went to the Chinese Garden to see all the lantern displays..

there were even activities organised by the community centre, and all the neighbourhood kids came together to play.. walking around the neighbourhood with our paper lanterns lit up, and then to burn them up.. haha..

children nowadays are luckier.. now they can have fanciful lanterns with mickey mouse, winnie the pooh on it, or those battery-operated lanterns with music and lights.. what we used to have were those plain and old-fashioned cheapo lanterns.. X)

but as we grow old, we tend to forget, and reminisce about those simple, happy things that we did when we were kids..

what i'm trying to say is, there are many things out there that will tie us down, but there are other things, simple ones, that are just as important.. =) would you rather be happy, or get stressed over things like results? haha.. sounds like the nonchalant me, when it comes to studies.. haha.. =D

now i wish i could play with lanterns for a little while during the weekend.. but i have my practice, projects, reports and the packing.. =(

but even if i could, i won't be burning the lanterns.. i'm not going to worsen the haze condition here.. i can't even see the factories' lights behind the reservoir!!

homemade mooncakes..

i woke up in the late morning, to hear knockings and hammerings in the house.. i thought my dad was doing some repairing or sorts.. with my eyes still half-closed, i walked out of the room, and into the kitchen... ... ...

oooh~~ my dad is making mooncakes!! hahah.. a yearly activity for him.. haha.. and of course he has been through many times of experiments and failures to master the "art" of making mooncakes.. haha..



drooling yet? =D

thank you..

ok, 2 boxes have been filled up.. now 2 more big boxes and 2 smaller boxes left.. =X and they are so so so heavy than it would require an elephant to move it.. =X

and i'm left with no more space in my house to put the boxes.. =X

but still, a very big thank you to all those who have been such a great help, in whatever ways i can think of.. =) all i hope for is to make this coming trip a more successful and more meaningful one..

but i'm getting more and more blur and forgetful as days pass by.. so please god, give me more time.. 24 hours a day are not enough.. i need more.. =(

performance at esplanade..

today's performance at esplanade was alright, of course with glitches here and there.. but what made it interesting was, there was a dedication from an audience (an auntie) requesting us to play "Peng You" by Emil Chau (Zhou Hua Jian).. haha.. of course we couldn't entertain her lar.. we are not that professtional to be able to play a song on the spot without any score sheets.. haha..

and of all parts of the performance, i think i enjoyed the interaction the most.. =) i always like to interact with people of different countries or cultures.. oh erm, maybe not always, but sometimes.. anyway, it's good to talk to people of different cultures, to share with them our cultures, and to learn theirs.. i think it's fun to talk with the ang mohs.. haha..

not in a good condition..

i think it's time for me to take a short break, or maybe treat myself to some peace and good chocolates.. i don't know if i'm stressed out, getting caught up with tons of things, because i think i'm immune to realise that..

i was sick a few days ago, and i've been so forgetful these few days, that i can leave the house without my handphone.. and almost without my wallet and ezlink card.. wert.. and i almost mess up my labwork's readings..

and today's performance at the Esplanade was ermm... no comments.. mistakes, creaky sounds, off-tune.. and all will be repeated next week =(..but still, thanks kathy, for your encouragement, and the rest for being there to listen to our performance..

and nanay bambie, your surprising email managed to uplift my mood.. =) this is the first time you sent an email to me.. haha.. usually the news and good wishes start spreading through patrice or other people.. and yes i will see you in december in Bago, i will make everybody practise their english, and i will practise my bato-bato ilonggo and tagalog.. =)

for the next week, things are going to be in havoc.. boxes coming in, collection of items, more labwork, more tuition, and 1 more performance..

manz.. i think i really need some chocolates..

a dear friend leaving..

i just came back from the airport, after sending my dear-friend-little-tiger-princess-sarah huijie off.. going London to pursue her dreams in arts, it's hard to reach out for the stars, but she has the faith, and i have faith in her too.. =)

i have a few friends who are overseas studying.. and i only had that "oh, so good, he/she is studying in australia, USA etc.." kind of feeling..

but for huijie, it was different..

for many moments her leaving reminded me of the ups and downs of our Bago trip in 2004, and of course mine in 2005..

she has been quite an impact in my life.. she was just 17 when she joined us for our expedition trip to Bago.. a 17 year old girl with a bunch of university students, and she is much stronger and more courageous than many of us.. her strengths, her beliefs, her passion, her faith have made me looked back on myself.. how childish, naive, aimless i was (and i still am)..

we share the love for chocolates and cheese, and we will always find time (or excuses) to meet up and enjoy chocolates or cheese or ice-creams.. =)

huijie, go on, and fight to make your dreams come true.. you are a star, a special one, and go on and find the real star that truly belongs to you.. i know you are strong, so keep on carrying the spirit, and don't ever think of giving it up! your dearest friends here in Singapore and also in Bago are always here for you.. =)

miss you gal..

sick, but not down..

i am hit by the sickness bug again.. ok, at least i managed to tame down the fever fast enough.. but i'm still getting giddy spells, having sore throat, and feeling the cold.. doesn't sound too bad right.. haha.. blame it on the weather!! it was so damn hot the other day, and then it poured so heavily on the next.. arghh..

putting that aside, i should be glad that things are going relatively smoothly, at least for the sponsors' side.. =) hopefully things will be this good for the next few months.. haha.. and i'm kinda relieved, able to see my air tickets 3 months before my trip.. wahaha.. a sense of assurance.. =)

and i can't stress this enough.. OLD CLOTHES, BOOKS AND TOYS FOR THE CHILDREN!!! =D thanks to all who have been supportive and helping me along, and having to tolerate my rantings.. haha..

happy early teachers' day!

haha.. for the first time in my going-3-years of teaching tuition, i've got teacher's day presents!! not one, but two (!!) presents!! =P haha.. but i think i can only laugh it off, because firstly, you can't expect much from primary school kids (either too kiddish, or most probably the mum bought the presents.. haha) and secondly, they are all in pink!!! ahhhhh.. you know i don't like pink.. both presents are pink, and even the wrapping paper is pink.. my god.. oh well, it's the thought that counts hor? i should be glad that i still get to have presents for teachers' day.. wahaha..

anyway, i've booked and paid for my air tickets already.. so it's confirmed.. there's no turning back.. as if i would.. haha.. at least i need not worry anymore about price inflation of the tickets when the holidays get near.. =D

and more good news.. one sponsor agreed to help me ship more boxes to Bago City.. yeahhey.. so more stuff for the children!! =D

i hope good news never stop... hehe..

so here i go again.. I NEED YOUR OLD CLOTHES, TOYS AND BOOKS FOR THE CHILDREN!! ADULT CLOTHES ARE WELCOME (THE SMALLER THE SIZES, THE BETTER..) BUT PRIORITY GIVEN TO STUFF FOR THE CHILDREN.. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME.. LEAVE A TAG, EMAIL, CALL, SMS ETC.. AND I WILL SURELY GET BACK TO YOU!!! THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!!! =D

childhood..

i think today people had a good laugh about me falling asleep during today's yoga session.. haha.. well you see, after all the straining posture stretchings, we were supposed to lie down in the relax posture and sort of meditate, concentrating on our breathings.. but i was so comfortable in that position that i actually fell asleep.. haha.. until i had to be waken up by one of the instructors.. manz that was so embarassing.. haha..

and somehow people ended up talking about my pathetic childhood.. haha.. perhaps "different" or "unique" is a better word to use.. haha.. like how my parents used to lock the switches for the tv and the computer, how i only got to have my own set of house keys only when i was in sec 2, how i only got to go out with friends after school for a fast-food meal when i was in sec 2, how my dad cut the wire for the tv when me and my brother didn't behave.. haha.. and then how rebellious i was, trying to unlock the switches, trying to stay out late, and doing things that went against my parents..

i think everybody will have their own experiences during their childhood, be it wonderful, memorable, or painful.. well, we all have different parents, don't we? haha.. even though my parents were strict with me (and now they still do), and i used to hate them for over-controlling my life, but still i am glad that i have a family.. though i don't express my feelings out to them, and sometimes i still go against them.. haha..

but i'm proud to say that my mum has been the one who is secretly doing things to plan for my future, buying all the groceries so that there will be (sometimes) food in the kitchen and toiletries and stuff are always available.. haha.. and my dad, a wonderful cook and baker.. who will sometimes give in to my demanding requests, like how i would pester him to let me go overseas.. haha.. my grandma, who prepares all my dinner, who used to take care of me, and wake me up during my primary school and early secondary school days.. =)

the moral of the story is, treasure and cherish your childhood memories, as well as the people who have been part of your childhood.. and in the future, give your children a childhood that they will be thankful of.. =)

national day..

HAPPY 41ST BIRTHDAY, SINGAPORE!! =) ok, i'm not that patriotic, but at least i'm still proud to be a singaporean.. cliche, but i still have to say that if i'm not here, i won't be having the things that i'm having now.. =)



went out with NUSCO friends for (again) ktv-singing, shopping and eating and shopping and eating.. haha.. yar, shopping spree again.. and of course i won't buy anything that is not of any good deal.. haha.. a skirt from Topshop for only $21.60.. good deal? of course it is.. muahaha.. and i also bought a tee.. so no more shopping when school reopens.. hehe..

hoping to catch some fireworks display today, but i supposed it's better to stay at home to watch it live on tv.. because everywhere was so crowded! oh well, at least i know i did watched live fireworks when i was in Bago, and i was only a few streets away from the coliseum where they released them.. simple, but still spectacular.. wooh.. haha..

but darn.. my camera failed on me!! damn.. need to send it for repairs.. boohoo.. my dear camera that has been accompanying me through my most memorable trips is now spoilt!! arghh..

and i just did some fortune-telling for myself, thanks to gurus huiling and hweeming.. =) and i realised what they have predicted are not what i'm expecting myself to be.. but some facts are really very true.. wow.. haha.. so i'll have a good life!! yeah!! =D

pleasant surprises..

good news comes in threes... haha..

good news number 1 - ryan is getting married!! no no.. i don't mean the ryan in singapore.. the ryan in Bago! he's getting married!! on 21 october!!

good news number 2 - temogen may be going to canada this year.. all the best my friend! even though i would very much want to see you again on my visit back to Bago in december.. but still, i would wish you the best of luck in searching for your better future..

good news number 3 - another cheap airline to Manila!! CebuPacific!! yeah!!

it's always so pleasant to receive texts from friends, especially when they carry pleasant surprises.. hahah.. but the stoopid me was sleeping like a pig, and i missed a call from temogen.. arghh..

and i want to attend ryan's wedding!!! maybe i'll make use of the holidays in october (21 oct and 24 oct are public holidays) and make a short trip down to Bago.. i want i want i want!!!

i found a sponsor!

damn.. my handphone failed on me!! on such an important day!! arghh!! it was always loyal to me, waking me up whenever i want it to, but today, it failed on me!! and i woke up so damn late!! i was supposed to meet a potential sponsor for my december trip this morning at 10am, but i woke up at 11am!! hell.. thought i almost screwed up this meeting..

but then again, i have good news.. haha.. i've got the sponsor!! =D.. yeah!! a sponsor for stationery items.. haha.. it was kinda nerve-wreaking, partly because i was late, and i have never try to secure such deals before.. haha.. now i'll have to settle all the paperwork, and i must find a shipping company, asap.. pray pray pray..

after that i met up with helen, to buy a yoga mat.. haha.. yar, i'm starting my first yoga lesson tomorrow.. i'm a healthy baby.. wahaha..

yes, time to get down to serious work.. and i'm still coughing.. *faints*

cars..

*cough cough* yes i'm still coughing.. kinda got worse (a little).. please please please, i don't want to finish my vacation with all the coughing..

oh, i watched the movie Cars yesterday night =D.. the disney pixar one, the cute cute one.. hehe.. i strongly recommend it.. hehe.. even though i enjoyed it at the comfort of my small room, with no popcorns and snacks (i'm sick!) and coughing.. bleahz.. but still, go watch it, people!! =D

and after watching it, you will realise that life is not just about racing.. racing to be the first, to be the best.. but to enjoy whatever that comes to you, and do what you really love.. =)

now, is there anybody who knows where to get those cute little cars in the movie? =D

the diary..

i was reading the diary that i wrote during my first stay in Bago, 2004.. it made me realise quite a few things.. i used to write a lot of chinese then, but now i think i need to write more.. haha.. starting to lose the touch of the language.. haha..

back to the point, the entries in the diary (the brown one which all YEP participants would have) reminded me that everything is not forever.. the entries not only reminded me of what the 24 of us did over there, but also recorded my thoughts, what i saw in the filipinos, and what i hope of.. and sadly, i didn't fulfil all that.. other than making a trip back again last year..

it contained memories, and all the problems that we had faced.. faded memories.. which is what a diary is for..

it makes me wonder, how imperfect i am, then and now.. and how we should make our lives less imperfect.. by living it to the fullest..

suddenly i miss how we did the "hi-5".. nobody knows the "hi-5" culture here.. it's so filipino, and nobody knows it here.. sometimes i reached out my hand for a "hi-5", and when there was no response, i forgot that here is not philippines.. can anyone over there fly here now to do that with me?!?

"the truth about the truth is, it hurts.. that's why we lie."

--------------------

cough cough.. when u get sick, everything comes in a package.. fever, flu, cough.. now fever and flu's gone, but still coughing.. and my throat and abdomen hurts whenever i cough.. arghh.. but i want to get out of the house again!!

another sentosa outing..

arghh.. i'm officially sick.. ar choo~~!!

went to sentosa again.. my third time back there.. manz, this holiday very happening huh.. but anyway, it was with NUSCO friends again, and today was frisbee playing and ball playing (and the ball disappears after 2 throws.. wert) and more frisbee playing.. in the water! haha.. ok, i hate getting wet, because i was lazy to change and it would be very troublesome to wash my hair if they got wet with sea water.. but anyhow i was wet up till the waist.. and i didn't know there are so many "yuhui"s in NUSCO.. keke..



it was fun, but not with the flu.. yucks.. i don't mind having lobster-red arms and face, but not the flu.. wasn't feeling very right in the morning, and perhaps staying too long under the sun made it worse.. so yes, i'm sick.. ar ar ar choo~~~!!!

break..

my foot is hurting.. rheumatism acting up again.. yar old granny is speaking here..

went out for a ktv session with huiyan, yanyi and eric.. surprisingly this holiday i've been singing quite a lot.. the last singing craze was a year ago.. really! no kidding! everything was in such a rush for the past year.. after cramming for 4 months, i hurridly set off to Bago, and came back just in time for another 4 months of cramming, before i got this break..

and i really quite enjoy this break.. i have full control of my time (or at least to a certain extent.. haha).. i can go wherever and whenever i want.. to swim, to meet up with friends, to give tuition to 5 kids, to watch tv, to watch my philippino shows (and with my mum occasionally popping by my room and staring at me for laughing at the screen in a language she don't understand.. haha).. and of course this holiday was brightened up by the appearance of tricia and joenil!! =D

and before this holiday is going to come to an end - one month left!! - i'm going to make use of the sale to do some shopping, to sort things out in my room, and to seriously get started for the preparation of my donation collection..

wish me luck.. haha