Countdown

The time is drawing near. The age of officialness.

Don't feel any different, though. Except that I feel a little grossed out suddenly when older guys talk about how hot girls younger than me are. To hear them ogle teen-aged girls seems to border on paedophilia now. Ick.

Quite excited for Friday, but I don't think I'm all prepared yet. I sure hope things turn out alright.

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I'm bothered by how I'll never get to use my beautiful purple room in Desapark City. It doesn't seem terribly likely that I'll be moving back to Malaysia anytime soon. And even if (a big if) I end up working and living here, that precious room would've rot by then. It depresses me that it's going to waste.

I am seriously considering moving there, or at least live there on weekends. I just have to adjust with not having my complete wardrobe of clothes. I can feel my OCD cropping up at the prospect of losing track of clothes; clothes left forgotten in the process of shifting.

2009 IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

Vietnam

I have returned!

Vietnam was fun. Not as a place but I enjoyed myself on holiday, although my sisters and I kinda breathed a collective sigh of relief today at the knowledge that we would be home soon. It was nice just being with the family, squashing the 3 of us on one queen sized bed (where I finally demanded that I not sleep in the middle again on the last night), sneaking Dad into the rooms (so we would meet the 2 pax per room without paying for another room), watching glorious TV on the big screen and waking up late.

What is it about watching TV in hotels, anyway? Everything about the experience seems so much better when you're sitting in your hotel room, making you wish you had double the time to go out and still laze around. By the way, we didn't even catch a glimpse of any of the hotel facilities, much less use them.

The MAJOR thing about Vietnam is the road rules. There are no road rules.

The motorcycles outnumber the cars the way cockroaches outnumber humans in this world. (That's kinda my own postulation.) The entire road is full of people riding on bikes, while cars are the poor minority. Bike-riding is totally the lifestyle there, with whole families (usually up to 4 people) on one vehicle, and everyone wears a helmet just because the law says so, so you see all kinds of cute non-safety regulation little hats.

It's so lawless that there are only so few traffic lights (which not everyone follows anyway) and there's absolutely no right of way at roundabouts and junctions. Just go with the flow and keep braking, swerve left and right to avoid people, and generally don't go above 40 km/h. People weave in and out and the poor cars are constantly braking jerkily.

As a pedestrian, do the exact opposite as you normally would. It's best to just walk blindly, regular slow pace, and wait for the least amount of bikes on the road. They're masters of avoidance and will predict your walking pace so they won't hit you. I guess you could still look left and right, for some wayward bikers. There was this Caucasian motorcyclist (probably a newbie) who just stopped (probably paralyzed in fear) when we crossed in front of him and caused a horn honking riot from all the Vietnamese behind him.

Other than that, we just did the regular touristy thing: went on the Mekong River boat ride, stopped and saw a bunch of traditional practices, and visited the Cu Chi (Koochee-koochee koo!) Tunnels where there was exceptional propaganda going on. Nothing much to say there, especially after Facebook's showing everyone else's identical photo albums of Vietnam.

Will write more when I think of more. Turrah!

What A Night

Just after midnight on Thursday night/Friday morning, I was watching Sydney White when Adelia rushed down to me exclaiming, 'Touch, is my head hot? My nose just bled!'

In the wee hours of the morning last night, I was trying to sleep on my right when I felt a pop and a rush of fluid in my nose. Miraculously, I managed to prevent it staining my pillow with my hand. It's either because I'm not drinking enough water, or the aircon switches off at 3 a.m. every night making us suffer in heat and struggle to find the fan remote control (EVERY SINGLE NIGHT) or there's a nose bleeding bug going around. Obviously not.

And I just had the weirdest dream about my gang. Shang & Phyl, I remember you there because earlier Shang was trying to teach me a dance. We were leaving some camp by monorail but Stef's train carriage got separated from us. The train was cocoon or peanut shaped, by the way. We watched as she dangled precariously from the carriage in front of us, and kept gesturing to her to sit further inside. The whole ride was like a slow roller coaster and suddenly, when we reached one destination, Stef had vanished.

Just before that I had heard her say, 'Oh no, my hair isn't right.' And in her carriage we found a sheet of paper with a drawing of herself (and a drawing of me) that she'd haphazardly erased to correct. So it goes, you need to draw yourself to reemerge when the train stops but she didn't finish in time.

As the train headed on, I found myself trying to finish her drawing. The gang looked over my shoulder as I did my best to give her nice hair (looked like Akazukin Cha Cha) and nice lips. Plus write down a nice speech bubble (according to Phyllis: with good English so Stef would speak well when she appeared). Phyl even told me to erase all the Malay words Stef had wrote. Hmm. I remember writing, "Hello! I speak good English. I am good at art and animation', and drawing a speech bubble just in time for the train to stop.

Long story short, we screeched to a stop. I went, 'Where's Stef! Where's Stef!' and she was there, behind us, looking quite worn out. Phew.

It was a way longer dream branching into other weird stuff but it's getting boring.

I feel so much more complete as a person with perfect manicure and pedicure. The only downside is that I can't focus on any task that involves my hands. It's so distracting; I keep staring at the perfect dark blue/purple colour and the stark contrast with my skin.

Matthew who buffs his nails has the shiniest nails I've ever seen, and he too gets distracted by his hands in lectures. So it's not just me being a bimbo. =)

We're going to Vietnam tomorrow but Aggie & Dad may not get a flight ticket. Which would be pretty funny when the other 3 of us end up holidaying on our own. It's okay, I'm obviously going to take the camera with me.

The biggest battle now is picking up my notes and reading more than a page at one go, when the TV and stack of DVDs is calling for me. Plus I keep wanting to go out and just hang out.

D' Gang

It's getting a bit expensive on my wallet to meet up with my friends so often. Especially when meek people like me don't complain although waiters bring the wrong (and more costly) orders. But if you think about how there's only about 3 weeks left to school, then it's quite normal to feel the urgency to do as many and as diverse things as possible while there's time.

I always take for granted how lucky I am to have a gang, a support group that I never have to figure how to behave around. A group of friends that have been with me longer than any other people (excluding family) have, that we've reached a mutual understanding on how to treat one another, and people I have the most fun with.

I've seen other people who go from one stage of life to another, changing groups of friends. I wonder how difficult it must be, to keep starting anew instead of picking up where you left off with the same people. And I realize just how secure my life is, to the point that my friends and I have become too lazy to socialize beyond our circle. As Stef put it, the gang is my priority and no matter what happens to other friends, I don't care because I know I have us.

How sappy. But I've no idea what I'd do without us.

Barely half the gang (sorry, gang, but who asked you to go away?)

The rope on Flickr © wili_hybrid

It feels like a tug-o-war.
I don't know if it's something I should do, or something someone else should.
Or something I just have to accept.
I'm worried things will get strained in the process.

4-day camps are so much more draining than 3-day camps.
Here's my breakdown of events:

3-Day Camp
Day 1
You feel like crap and wonder why you joined camp in the first place.

Day 2
You feel crappier but elated that tonight is the last night and tomorrow you will be free!

Day 3
It was all worth it after all. And you're a little sad (OK, that was a lie). But definitely satisfied with what you've achieved.

4-Day Camp
Day 1
You feel like crap and wonder why you joined camp in the first place.

Day 2
You feel crappier and contemplate just bailing out of the whole thing. There's like 2 freaking more days to survive! How on earth will you do it?

Day 3
Oh wow, time really flew. You can't believe you'll be going home tomorrow!

Day 4
Finally. But what an accomplishment. And no, you're not sad.


Although I blanked out lots, intentionally put out of memory a lot of steps, and complained like the whiniest person on earth, I feel good about myself. I remembered the kinds of genre I love, reignited the passion to perform, and discovered I can be better than I thought. I've sort of recaptured that little fire to be the best I can be and the willingness to work hard to put up a good show. It's been awhile since I've felt like part of a dance troupe again.

Yayness.

But thank goodness it's over.

Mumble Jumble

Breaking Free on Flickr © Pink Sherbet Photography

When I was younger, I prided myself on the ability to think. To think about things (to me) meant that you were smarter, that you were more aware of your surroundings, more mature than your counterparts. I thought that if you thought, one day great things would happen to you. That it would prepare you for life because you'd already thought about things beforehand, observed your world and were sure what you would and wouldn't do some day. That life would be smoother, trouble-free.

If only things were always as easy as in your mind.

Today, thinking has become synonymous with inactivity. Thinking and not doing eventually becomes a regret in retrospect.

Incidentally I've regressed to not thinking too much about other things. When you spend too much time mulling over an issue, you get trapped and can't remember which way is in or out. I never knew such a thing existed until a few years back, when my thinking habit finally turned around and bit me on my bum.

It's hard, sometimes a daily struggle, but there are worse things to endure in life.

I am a sick kid.

This is the first time I've been online since Monday, which is a huge rarity. Definitely not something I'd voluntarily do.

I started having fever on Sunday evening, right up to today. I've spent most of my time sleeping it off (not some of my favourite sleep memories) for more than 12 hours a day. Took a blood test yesterday to rule out dengue. Most probably just a viral fever.

Now I've only a few days left to study for my test next week and I am so not in the mood.

Yippee Yi Yo

Finding Happiness on Flickr © *Piney*

Dental Morpho is over and done with! Negative marking is a huge turn off, if you don't have guts, it's unlikely you'll score from the fear of choosing the wrong answer.

The very second day my throat started hurting less, I jumped right back onto the fried food wagon. No more soupy food for me. Modern medicine is quite marvelous, I think.

Today at Ruth's place and Timbre after was really fun. I like it best when I forget about being me, forget to feel self-conscious and aware of my actions. That's when I have the most fun, like our Guitar Hero-ing earlier, and getting an ab workout from laughing at Little Big Planet. If only everyone had been up for the rest of the night.

Even the joyride turned out to be a hoot (or Ah Hood) when we got lost dropping everyone off. Poor Titus and his Bukit Brown - wanting to get a scary thrill but unwilling to endure peeing in his pants out of fear.

I like my classmates a whole lot. =)

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An important thing to keep in mind is to always maintain your independence. It does neither you nor the other party any good to become too dependent on each other. Which is why I appreciate the encouragement to have good fun on my own, and to hang out with different groups of people. It is a natural mood-lifter when you make new friendships and I'm glad we're breaking the cliques in class.

Today, someone made an estimate of the total amount of calories I took in from my 2 lunches and 2 dinners. He calculated about 2400 cal. That's almost the recommended daily intake for males.

See why I'm going to get artherosclerosis?

Turns out my self-diagnosis was right. I googled it, saw the picture on Wiki, checked my throat and decided it looked the same. The next day, the doctor told me, 'You have tonsillitis' and I burst out, 'I knew it!' So I got a jab on my hip, which still aches at times now.

All In One Moment

After the grouchiest night ever, and the grouchiest day ever, suddenly the clouds have cleared.

I couldn't sleep because of my nose and what felt like swallowing a large uneven rock on the right of my throat. Then the day never seemed to end, to the point I felt like quitting church and just killing everybody who crossed my path. I was half convinced it was tonsillitis already, and imagining how I would survive a tonsilectomy.

Somewhere along Yishun, after seat hogging and dozing off the whole MRT ride, contemplating how depressing life was, an old lady and man came aboard. I gave up my seat to the lady.

I swallowed. The pain was actually sort of tolerable! I swallowed a few more times to double check. I got off at YCK, scurried down the long covered walkway, and could it be? 265 was arriving at the same time! I reached home, crossed the road with this small girl (who so reminded me of me). Smiled at the angmoh with the gorgeous dark brown Golden Retriever. And the girl opened the backdoor for me!

It's like the rainbow at the end of a thunderstorm.

Thermometer.. on Flickr © Harraz

Being sick can be fun, or not so fun.

When your body finally tells you to slow down, it can be a valid reason to take a nice break. Especially with people concerned about you and pampering you, it can make you not want to get well again.

On the other hand, when you feel so bad that you can't even enjoy the perks, all you want is a speedy recovery. And right now, when I'm in between bouts of sleep (which don't even make me feel refreshed) and making myself read Dental Morpho, the afternoon hours (which personally are the worst parts of the day to me) seem to drag even longer.

Exciting evening and night, approach quickly!

Perspective

It is always easier to preach something than to follow what you preach. It's easy to tell someone else to stop moping around, stop thinking negatively and stop feeling sorry for yourself. But sometimes it's unpleasant to realize that you're doing the same thing, although maybe to a less obvious extent.

I've been feeling down supposedly because I don't really have a hang out buddy right now. After lessons are done and over, I go back to my room and don't leave it till the next day. It was a funny chat Chriselle and I had over Skype last night, both of us whining about how we've no good friends. Me wishing I had treasured our fun spontaneous days of long ago.

The other day at the Villa Bali tasting session as well, the others around me were discussing their travels - how far they'd gone, how they go yearly, which places were nicer. I was feeling pretty left out, and like a total noob, sheltered and unworldly. Most of the time I kept silent, except to petulantly say that my family couldn't really afford to travel.

In truth, it struck me that the people I'm surrounded by now put some priority into seeing the world, whereas back home, I've probably been more places than others. I felt quite ashamed at how ungrateful I was being, when my parents plan a holiday for us every year at least.

And just like being friendless, it's extremely childish to sulk when things don't happen to you. It's really about time I became more proactive about things I'd like to see in my own life, rather than feel wronged when they don't.

I'd Like A Dose of Confidence, Please

The Red Poppy on Flickr © Paul Cook Photography

It's almost end of the year! I'll have to move my belongings in a few weeks if PGP doesn't get back to me on the temporary luggage storage place. I wonder if I'm the only one feeling overwhelmed by the task. Although it is stupid to worry about something before it happens - moving may be a cinch.

Soon, I'll be back in KL for the month and the past few months will feel like they were just part of a long dream. Hazards of not being rooted in reality enough.

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There are so many insecurities I have that haven't been resolved. Some things are easy to forget when your current situation doesn't bring them up, but once you find yourself in the same circumstances, you realize that they were just lurking in the back of your mind, ready to grab hold of you again. I wish I didn't care what anyone thought.

The Hall Life

I have been crazy tired these past few days.

After the anat test, it seemed like graduation or something. We had supper night after night, thanks to Denzil's tremendous generosity in driving us everywhere. We also spent cash after cash, having huge meals. During supper at Chomp Chomp last night, we pooled our cash and shared food. And that very night, it was born: the Supper Club Fund. We've been window shopping for a piggy bank (there're cute ones with food pictures at NUH) and Sabrina's prepared a pouch for the money. From now onwards, we will contribute money (say, ten bucks) every week but only use a few dollars for a meagre supper. Then once a month, we use the remainder to pig out on a feast. The perfect plan.

Wednesday night at Obar/Dbl 0 was madness. Half the class was there (which is an amazing, heartwarming thing) and we all know that the more the merrier. The antics that the drunk people got up to will haunt them forever. We've not been talking about anything else since. The night ended with the two vomiting machines, throwing up in sync, at a decibel level that could be heard like a mile radius. I had lots of fun.

Back In The Day

I love this hairdo.

Jamie really takes the cake.

I see a red indian, a mime, and many other unidentifiable characters.

Why isn't anyone I know celebrating Halloween? :(

As much as one professes to prize inner beauty, it's very telling that a blemish can cause such an effect on self-esteem.

I had a good day and ate some good food. Once in awhile, people should just make an effort to break the routine.

And I love receiving gifts. But to give to someone you care about is infinitely more satisfying.

Laundry is Fun

Laundromat Fetish on Flickr © Orange Couch

If you think about it, and I did think about it, doing laundry can be super duper fun.

First, I exchange my dollar notes for 20¢ coins. This is the closest I can get to winning money from a slot machine. Sometimes the machine spits my notes out with a vengeance. That can be exciting too, because you never know when it'll happen.

Then I carry my basket of clothes to the laundry room. It's quite an adventure selecting a washing machine that's free of weird looking unidentifiable small substances. Putting in the coins into the slot totally reminds me of being in an arcade.

The whole machine thing just feels like magic. One moment your clothes smell, the next they exude fragrance (I realize fragrance doesn't have a verb, sadly).

And once everything is toasty and baked from the dryer, you just bring everything back up to your room. It's like the clothes never spent any time away.

It used to be more fun when Jamie and I made laundry excursions together. The laundry room has nice acoustics for singing duets. I guess time's too precious for such dilly-dallying now.

Now that I'm home at YCK for the weekend, I've access to my usual snacks and binge food to eat during studying. I just gave my masseter and whatever other muscles of mastication a huge workout by munching on an Uncle Toby. My stomach is also getting a huge workout, expanding to fit all I'm pouring in. I don't know why I torture myself this way. I am overdosing on proteins and not getting enough greens, for sure.

Tomorrow we'll finally catch HSM3. Okay, not finally, since it's only been out for 3 days. I can't wait, it's been so long since I just watched a brainless feel good movie.

Life is also grand ever since my discovery of internet radio. I don't have to spend countless wasted minutes selecting which song I want to hear next, that I'm not that sick of yet. We live in a convenient world.

It's been almost a month. So fast, yet I could swear it feels like longer.

When one should be studying, there is an increased attractiveness about blogging.

I have shown my flabby belly for the last time (I hope), doing our Quadfac dance yet again. As much as I love dance, I think I really love the limelight of performing well more. So, I'm not really that upset when I don't go for dance practices. But the thought of losing any semblance of dance ability makes me fearful. It makes me feel I've to attend some form of class somehow.

So ultimately, my weekends are still burnt.

Mmmmm

Letter M in Chocolate on Flickr © Pink Sherbet Photography

My handphone says 00:00. I thought it was so cool before I remembered that the time's fake, it's a little fast to make me panic. People always set their clocks faster, some people by 15 mins just to make themselves more punctual. From what I observe, it only backfires. Without resorting to naming names, I conclude that people reverse psycho themselves into thinking they have even more time, and end up later than ever.

I am overscheduling myself left and right. This time, I've made plans to go back to KL on the 5th, only to find out I've dance camp from the 9th to 12th and now have to miss D&D on the 6th. S'pity indeed.

Okay, the elephant's been christened Cello. Which reminded me of my precious Neopets once upon a time - Capiano the meerkat-ish thingy and Bocello the stork-ish thingy. (You can never tell what they're meant to be in Neopets.)

Wishing & Hoping

Today, Jamie & I missed a Skype session with Chriselle by barely a few moments. After our jog, I went to her room to drink her packet of Peach tea (yum) and send songs to myself via MSN Sharing Folders. We waited and waited and waited til 12 am (starting from 11.15pm) before I gave up and left for my own room. Apparently she came online right after.

My bedroom is turning into a soft toy (and miscellaneous items) shrine. I've the light blue Mario mushroom tissue holder, the blue Ikea yet to be named elephant, Pixie the polar bear, my colourful pinwheel, a blue cube, cone hats, and Jelly the red Mario mushroom sweet holder (Barney has gone to Ruth). Okay, so it's nothing significant, just that they're all gifts. And boy do they collect dust. I think I shall bring my toygun from YCK back here. And the twirler Jamie & Chriselle bought along with me, if I can find it. I'd be entirely surrounded by memorabilia.

Waiting for things to happen to you can be tiring. Which is why it's time we took action and paid some money to see a few concerts!

This week went by pretty smoothly. It feels weird to have free time to myself after classes end around 4-5 pm. Finally, Jamie and I initiated our jogging sessions. I did not anticipate to spend 1 & 1/2 hours on Thursday night running around NUS and lingering on the track. It feels good to be doing something healthy again, except that I hardly studied. I spent most of my time going up to Jam's room to check if her iPod was charged and then the rest of the time fiddling with what song to listen to.

Jaydon's 5th birthday yesterday reminded me of how different I am now compared to when my sisters had birthday parties. Back then, I was super gung-ho about planning their games, bossing kids around and basically organizing their birthday parties. We printed decorations, invitations and came up with the entire itinerary even when I was not even a teen yet.

As for now, I am so slack and lazy. I can't even bring myself out of my daydreaming stupor to help with noisy kids. And I got stage fright speaking to a group of kids!

Oh what has become of me.

Today I realized something about myself that I don't really like.

I socialize only in settings where I feel in control. I discerned this about myself when Sab Ng declared she'd rather play a game than run. I said I'd much rather run alone (okay, maybe with a friend) than play a team game. Simply because I feel uncomfortable interacting with people when I feel inadequate.

I think I'm becoming too dependent on person(s) once again. That's a sure sign when you find yourself feeling aimless by yourself or when you feel thrown off course all day just by the way they treat you. Bad bad bad.

In Hiding on Flickr © S'erendipity

I'm finally going to see Mr Dermatologist on Saturday morning. And hopefully by popping some pills I shall regain my smoother complexion. Lian-ee thinks it's something I'm allergic to here, either the food, the air I breathe or the water I drink and bathe in. Beats me. I just want a permanent solution, because as time goes by my standards are decreasing. It's the only way a person can feel some semblance of confidence with their looks. When all else fails, avoid mirrors at all costs!

In light of prioritizing my health, I have chosen not to complete my homework. Let tomorrow bring what it may.

Goodnight.

All By Myself

Yup. I woke up at almost 11 a.m. and am whiling the time away on Lancelot. Lancelot needs a new skin and maybe some boy boy stickers to decorate him.

Nope. I didn't don my running shoes. In my defence, my dance seniors said that today's practice is probably going to be tiring. I hope it makes up for my past month of couch potato-ing (though we know scientific evidence promptly disputes that).

I totes gots to compiles a shoppings list!

The Shopping List

1 pair of bright coloured pants

2 pairs of power heels (red, white, or blue)

1 Canon Ixus (personally nothing can beat the gorgeousness of the photos by the one back in KL)

1 comfy thong

1 lacy top

1 tote bag for uni

1 lippie

1 compact powder

1 concealer

I have arrived at the roadblock all bloggers face. Should I update once in a blue moon with posts I put effort and thought into? Or should I just update with minute details of my life, to keep my blog going.

I've decided on the latter, at least for now.

Friday is finally here and I'm down with 2 CAs. I'm pretty disgruntled over the fact I didn't get to dance in Arena, so now it feels like I can't start studying again until I get some fun out of my system. Hopefully tomorrow will be more exciting. I miss being able to hold dance parties (or gatherings of whatever sort).

I've opted to stay in tonight, so I'll be all by my lonesome in PGP tomorrow. More than 3 weeks of zero physical activity has put me in dire straits. If I want to be able to walk around on a beach without a bag on my face, I'm going to have to force myself to don my running attire and hit the roads tomorrow.

Stella told me today that being in Anat Hall makes her feel contemplative. That being surrounded by all the dead bodies makes her think about her life, 60 years from now, and where she's gonna be. Hmmm.

By the way, instead of getting better, it's been getting worse. Today I struggled not to associate certain smells emanating from the bodies to food. And sometimes I have to avoid meat that's brown. And last week, I actually felt pukish. Last night, we joked that we could all get pissing drunk and puke in Anat Hall with the excuse of being grossed out by the corpses. Didn't happen, though.

I hate admitting when I'm wrong. As a child, I'd rather keep quiet than let on that I didn't know the answer to something. Even as a young adult, I go by the same motto, that it is better to shut up than to blabber on and reveal your ignorance. It's a pride thing, which to my deepest regret is now causing me to make bigger and bigger mistakes in life.

I do something wrong, and I know it. The trouble is that I'm sure I can handle it, sure that I will not repeat it. Time and time again it has proven to turn out the exact opposite. And yet I console myself that I won't let it happen again.

It always only takes one time for your world to come crashing down.

Romantic Shower on Flickr © !.keesssss.!

There have been many times in my life when I wondered what it would be like to be someone else. I watched the television and read books, imagining myself as those characters, fantasizing myself into a different life. The funny part is that right now, I'm exactly where I thought I could never be. It feels strange to look from the outside and realize that you've all you ever wanted from life.

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There are so many things I want to do, visualize myself doing. But they never materialize.
I want to go to the beach, catch a concert, go fine dining, go to the zoo, paint something gorgeous, watch a sunset, count stars, dance in public, ride an extreme ride, and SO MUCH MORE.

Just getting through the week makes me look back in wonder, that I've survived another round of classes and didn't even know it. Time really flies when you're busy, plus some other stuff. Haha.

The past week went by in the blink of an eye, and here I am, back in my own little room. Things feel the same, yet different. Some subtle changes in my routine; some things becoming permanent fixtures while others vanished into a different part of my life - the past. Some other things make me nervous. I hope I'm not being a hypocrite by saying that I'm counting on God to make a way.

Other than that, I cannot wait for more meet-ups with people! Wednesday will be a grand day - half for studying and half for slacking. I hope Nat and I meet up as well.

No matter how exciting something is initially, the novelty always wears off. I'd like to think that that can be changed if we work hard at making each day special and new.

You Are My Sunshine on Flickr © Pink Sherbet Photography

I don't like how a place can hold so much memories. I'm sure that's a good thing when it reminds you of happy times. Yesterday, however, I felt like I'd rather give up the way places trigger your memories, just to forget the bad things in the past. I find it truly difficult to come back out of my head once I've crawled into some gloomy places.

It's nice to be a listening ear, especially when no advice is expected. It makes me feel better for both myself and the other party, because I know I could never have provided help through any other means anyway. This way, at least, I feel useful to someone else.

Fun Happy Colourful on Flickr © Pink Sherbet Photography

I wish everyday was a fun-filled kiddy day. I want to dress up in bright colours, sing songs, dance and play with colourful stuff. I can't wait for my 21st birthday themed party. (Or Halloween, or D&D, for that matter)

A Pink Day

Oh my goodness, the urge to blog came over me while I was walking from the bus stop back to Thomson Grove. It was so sudden and foreign after such a long period of writer's block that I was truly repressing the urge to run the last few hundred meters home, just to whip out my laptop.

So.

Yesterday was the day the Foongs and Phaus had been waiting for for months. The day we all would dress up in the same shirts and walk around Singapore taking unglam shots. That never actually happened, because we just spent the day at Mt Faber Safra, but we DID wear pink polo Ts throughout the day. With 13 people in pink, we were kind of hard to miss. It was a day essentially dedicated to taking photos of ourselves, thought up by me (right, Athalie?) and finetuned by Athalie Phau. Designed specifically for a family of posers and narcissicists.

The funniest moment of the day had to be during bowling. Besides the usual competition to up one another (nothing big, Dad kept emerging champion with the ultimate GRAND total of 112 in round 2), we made fools of ourselves trying to carry Jared. The first time, I was supporting his hips and we ended up sliding lower and lower against the wall, collapsing to the floor with Jared's butt in my lap. After a few more tries and adjustment of position according to individual arm strength (in decreasing order: Adelia, Athalie/Agnetha, me), we got a successful shot.

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When I took up Weidi's offer to help choreograph and dance for Quadfac, I only thought it would be a rare chance to dance after starting Dentistry. Besides, everyone knows I can't resist a chance on the stage. =P Throughout the weeks, it never occured to me about winning or about what was at stake. I never once thought about how we'd match up against the others, and I didn't feel the pressure or competition. Only in the last week did it truly sink in that we had mostly first time dancers and that our competitors would probably be older and experienced. Which is why it came as utter satisfaction and a dream come true that we won!

Ah, glorious night.

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I never carry my backdoor card with me, and so I just deal with walking the entire periphery of the estate to get in through the front entrance. This afternoon, for the first time, I saw a guy jump over the back wall! I am totally inspired to try it someday!

Time Goes By, So Slowly

The Passage of Time on Flickr © ToniVC

There is always a certain kind of satisfaction you get upon seeing a completed project. Now that the dance is practically complete, it's pretty nice to look back and see how far we've come. Sometimes I wonder which is harder to believe, that 6 weeks have passed, or that ONLY 6 weeks have passed.

I am still dreading the pageant horribly. I can only imagine how much guts it takes to get up on stage and have everyone scrutinize you. Dancing is at least anonymous; at best you get a compliment, at worst you're someone else's shadow.

Now if only I could apply the same diligence to my books as I do to dance.

Girl Power

One of my favourite things in life is making new friends, and making true connections with people. Which is why I'm thankful for my puny part in Touch Rug, because team sports really bonds people. I only fully realized that after I got home and thought about my day - how nice and cosy it was to sit around with the other players, to have people care about you, tease you, support your decisions and give you advice.

I'd love more opportunities to hang out with the girls, outside of our formal wear and the confinement of classrooms, to be part of a girly crowd again. (Ironically, it's been hard to find that kind of clique, ever since JC).

That's why they say, boys come and go, but (girl) friends are for life.

Today was a series of unfortunate events.

As much as I belittle my sense of direction, at least I know how to make a detour when one is needed. I suppose it could've just been bad karma on his part, but boy, was I annoyed.

First, we ended up walking the opposite direction of the MRT, into foreign worker construction zone. When we finally did a turn about, we had to walk across the longest river/drain canal on earth, which doubled as a jogging path. Even after that, we were no where near Jurong East station anymore, which was ultimately confirmed by a swift climb up the hill.

No worries, we decided to just cab. But a mental lapse brought us to Bukit Batok instead of Bukit Gombak, a mistake I didn't rectify when he told the cabbie.

Next time, I must just SPEAK UP.

Sometimes it takes something like a fire drill to get to know the people who live on your floor.
I came back to PGP, drawn like a moth to the horribly annoying siren. I was pretty dismayed that it was coming from the foyer area, near my block. When I realized it was a fire drill, I trudged grumpily to the basketball court.

And there I bumped into some floor mates, including my cluster leader. She's from Korea and super sweet (and I cannot believe what I thought of her once). Also met this girl who has a non-identical twin from NJ, so I'm totally gonna ask someone from S11 if they know her.

We were stuck with each other for awhile because the lifts were inactivated. I found out that they came down by staircase (which only opens for you to go down). At first I couldn't believe I missed it! I've been wondering forever how do people go up those stairs. But I realize they're probably not the cool stairs outside the building, just lame boring internal ones.

I love it when the clouds have a silver lining.

When I Grow Up

I like rituals, especially silly rituals. I think it's nice having something to look forward to, even though it's something you made up on your own. Something that is senseless but brings about so much fun.

Yesterday was our first (and hopefully the beginning of an annual) sleepover at Chriselle's house. I love how it's so near NUS - it's been so exciting popping by each other's places for random reasons. We were ambitious about watching Disney movies all night, but ended up only successfully finishing Sleeping Beauty. Mulan and A Simple Wish, I kinda slept through. Who knew Disney oldies could be so sweet and funny and everything you could ask for in a movie? Prince Philip is such a hottie, hahah.

We coordinated our jammies and in the spirit of things, I suggested we wear them to McDonald's for breakfast the next day. I almost chickened out, but in the end, there we were, riding the bus and walking into the fastfood place full of people. The tables beside us were staring and smiling in amusement. I bet we made their day and gave them something to tell people.

After eating, we went to the playground and went crazy as usual. By the way, something has to be done about those playgrounds of doom. There has got to be a safer way to achieve 'balance and coordination for 5-12 year olds'.

If only we never had to grow up. Like Peter Pan in Neverland.

Pink sunglasses on Flickr © greenapples

I feel like I'm in a bubble of my own. A bubble detached from the external world. No television, no newspapers (not like I've ever read many), no other people. As comfortable as this routine is and as occupied I am with accomplishing small feats daily, I am bound to get tired of this container.

The trip home was good, though. Traveling may be tiring, but every time it's over, I feel sure I can make the effort again, just to keep a balance between my family and my pursued future.

I'm waiting for the hype to die down. So I can see whether things are the same when the rose-tinted glasses are removed. It's not very nice to live realistically, but some things just have to be done.

After the longest seeming journey of my life, I'm home! To cheer myself up from the horrid bus ride, I bought myself Famous Amos Butterscotch cookies (speaking of which, I want to eat more of them now). I also feel so much happier after packing more clothes to be brought back to Singapore. I know, so far, everyone's said I have a tremendous amount of clothes. Also, I know I won't use all of them. But I feel insecure without them!

Dr Chan managed to squeeze in a session with me, to fill my decayed molar. It was UBER interesting to see how differently she communicates to me, now that she knows I'm in Dentistry, and in NUS. She asked me, 'Where is the decay?' and I said, 'My upper right 1st molar.' '1,6?', she clarified. (Ooooh, I thought.) 'Yup,' I said.

'Need an LA?' she asked. 'Is it deep?' I questioned back. 'Nahhh,' she replied. 'Nahhh,' I decided.
(Used to be: Do you want an injection to numb it?)

And I conclude that she is truly as biased towards me as Shangkari has always claimed. Even after 2 cavities she's filled, she still says she isn't at all worried about my hygiene. That my cavity was only very shallow. Hmmm.

-----
When I came back for a visit, I wasn't planning on attending a service, I just wanted to watch Aggie perform. I was extremely pleasantly surprised to find I recognized the guy in pink stripes singing on stage. ADI. I was bursting out of my skin to just go say hi, although at first I thought it couldn't be him. Had a nice chat to him after service ended at 11.30 pm, he seemed a bit confused as to why I was there. It's his first time in KL! And I'm going to be his senior, muahaha. He's so nice. =)

I'm discovering that once again, I'm not much of a social butterfly. It's not very easy for me to go up to oldies and potential employers, and chat them up. It's a skill I have to learn, but I am afraid it'll be too late by the time I get to work on it.

The clinic visit at GPA was very very interesting. I'm still not used to the high end life these people seem to lead, and most likely I don't want to in future, anyway. It'll just be nice to be able to buy something without thinking twice, like clothes. All the same, I'm glad I have my hometown and my simple comfortable everyday things to go back to in Malaysia, whenever I want. Just like how I'm going back tomorrow morning.

I travel so much I cannot remember when and where I did certain things. So much that my mind is a blank most times, unable to search for a conversation starter. Woe is me.

The intraoral camera that I volunteered for revealed in stunning clarity (and in magnified digital image) the decay on my 1 6 (upper right 1st molar). Sigh. Hygiene going down the drain, and got to do another filling.

Is it just my contact lenses? Or is life passing me by in a hazy blur.

Partay!

I just love parties that let me act half my age. Yesterday was the most fun I'd had since the last time I had so much fun. Haha. I'm so glad Chriselle is exactly who she is, because we'd never have the insane memories to look back upon if she wasn't.

I'm totally in love with the Jumping Castle! On the bus to her house (coincidentally the same bus Coco and Tasya could take as well), I couldn't really recognize the roads. Tasya got off, while I continued sitting when she suddenly exclaimed, 'I see a Jumping Castle!' I sprang off my seat to get off the bus.

I'll never forget how I pummelled off the castle walls like a frenzied atom. You can really lose yourself in that thing. After awhile it feels like you were born to jump and bounce, like a human Flubber. I'm pretty sure I scratched Pravin's face during one of the many times we collided into each other. And once you fall, it's best to just curl up into the fetal position, or risk being crushed. I have no idea how many grass stains I have on my skirt, from when a bounce caused me to just slide off suddenly (cos' it was raining). Super fun!

From now on, I shall only attend THEMED birthdays.

Yooow! Jamie looks like a rocker.

I love my pinwheel! I wanted the sword too, but of course Chriselle should keep it.

People are money-minded. It is in the most 'noble' professions that you especially find the two extremes - money hungry and selfless. That doesn't mean it isn't interesting to witness.

I need to get used to the fact that the dental community is a mighty small one. Maybe 4000 dentists in Singapore, and everyone knowing each other. It was a nice surprise to see Prof Loh's photos from the Asia Pacific Dental Students Association (ASPDA) and be told that that familiar face was Prof Toh's from IMU! Funnier, Prof Loh kept trying to figure out IMU's full name - Islamic, Muslim... Until I spoke up and said, 'International Medical U.' I love coincidences. Have I mentioned I love coincidences?

My button popped off my pants today. I think they're too tight.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder on Flickr © Emile!

Contrary to popular belief, being anal about organization does not make life easier. Sometimes I feel stressed sitting at a bus stop, just thinking about how I do not have a ring file yet, to file all my notes. At times, I can hardly wait to get my hole puncher, or buy some coloured tabs, imagining how much better I'll feel once I've labelled and kept everything away.

It's not very healthy, but that's who I am.

It doesn't seem to register in my brain that I need points to remain in this lovely PGP room. I've spent forever putting everything in and although it's like a year away, I'm already dreading having to move out! It is so convenient now, I've no idea what I'll do if I had to travel back and forth, crushed in traffic. Now, I live each day as if it's the last, never knowing if I'll get my aircon room back. =(

I am seriously unfit. The RUN NUS Mass Run (where you run for fun) was only 5 km but I walked a lot of the way. The terrain was just too slope-y for me. We did meet a reporter for some NUS circulated paper, and maybe our bimbotic quotes will end up published. He asked us why we wanted to run. Jamie said, 'I like the shirt because it matches the bus' to up my 'I kinda like the shirt.'

It feels interesting to have a whole Sunday to myself at PGP. It makes me feel relaxed, like I've more time in the week. Maybe I should shift to Saturday church service permanently. It won't be too bad, seeing my family one day a week - something like JP did in army.

Apparently my hair is pretty memorable. One of Jamie's friends knew we'd overtaken her, because she recognized my hair. I thought that was funny. The only downside is I'm now a victim of stereotype. Dyed hair makes people think I'm either: a) Clubber b) Bitchy c) Vain

The last of which I don't deny, but I'm very sure it's just as much as any other person. Nothing excessive at all. Hmph.

Days Go By

Agapanthus Skeleton on Flickr © Ryan Plummer

In the span of a few days, I've turned from Miss Tight Pockets into Shopaholic of the Year. I keep whipping out my POSB NETS card like I'm a millionaire, so much that I dread checking my account balance right now.

It all started when I began feeling severely lacking in clothes, although any normal person out there would marvel at the size of my wardrobe (and I mean MY wardrobe, where everything in it now belongs to me). So yesterday and today, I went with the Dents (I love how that sounds like a cult) to VivoCity and have purchased a total of 1 top, 2 skirts and 2 pairs of shoes. Awesome. I'm very incredibly happy with the things I bought.

Lessons are okay. I haven't actually gotten around to touching any of my new books. The only eventful thing today was visiting the Anatomy Hall, and more precisely the mortuary. Dead bodies look alright when they've been preserved because they're shrivelled up. The soaking process is way more gross, with them floating all bloated up in tubs. Either way, I'll finally touch them in 2 weeks.

The only sad thing is that I forgot about the pineapple tarts Mom bought me from Bengawan Solo 2 weeks ago. Now they're on the verge of spoiling, and all I can do is eat them sadly one by one, on my own.

I can't decide if I'm already at the next stage or still drifting in between. Then again, I can't be the only one who's unsure about everything.

confusion on Flickr © lomokev

First day of class, and I was dozing off during both lecture and Operative Dentistry in the lab. Lotsa things to be done, though: reading manuals, memorizing tools, going for jog soon, and choreo-ing for QuadFac. Worried I can't get the last one done as well as I want to.

Emotions make everything that much happier, that much sadder, and that much more exciting. But I hate how emotions cloud my judgement. I don't like how trivial things can affect me so much, and how unimportant things can just make my day. But if small happenings don't create any impact on you, does that mean you're numb? Where's the middle ground?

Ahhh. Home sweet home (at YCK).

By the way, hello everybody. If you see someone who has a sunburnt face with the light imprint of a butterfly spanning her entire face, that would be me. Today was Rag Day, and it was pretty exciting. Dentistry totally pulled off what they came to do, and it's really awesome, what with making our float and rehearsing our item in only 2 weeks with 42 people. It's hard to imagine that it's only been a week and a half, because it feels like I've been seeing these people forever. But they're still new, so the next year should be pretty fun.

The halls floats are mind bogglingly beautiful. So beautiful they should be in a museum. Or in a Disneyland Parade. Where do these people get such talents and skills? Bing Wen was saying what a shame that Rag Day is only limited to NUS compounds, depriving the public of viewing such painstakingly created things. C'mon, the floats move, bounce around and shoot steam!

Finally, the crazy orientation period is over. Last night was pretty awful, because we slept at level 5 of SOC. The room, which initially seemed so warm, suddenly became cold as the tiled floor sucked the warmth out of me. Every angle hurts when you sleep without any soft layers, directly on the floor. I kept waking up, so I slept maybe 2 & 1/2 hours?

It will be very weird seeing everybody in a professional light from now, and out of our shorts and T shirts. So far, we've had our Dean's Welcome Talk and yesterday, the Welcome Tea where we were introduced to as much of the dental community who were interested in coming, as well as introduced ourselves in pairs to the audience. I think everyone had a good time, especially with all the silly 'interesting thing about me' statements we all made.

I've also gotten to know my lineage - Boon, Sarah, Marianne, Elizabeth, and that's as far as I got. Apparently the rest of our line seniors are not very active. But I did take a look at the yearbook and memorized a few more up our chain in the genealogy page. Pretty cool. AND ARGH, MY NUH PICTURE/YEAR BOOK PICTURE IS SO UGLY!

I'm nervous about lab partners. I hope we complement each other, as it is for the next four years. And I'm more and more nervous that my hands tremble. Ruth is such a whiz at wire bending, wth!

Copped out of staying all night at SOC. Instead got Darrell to drive Stella & I home, where I sneaked her up into my room. Waiting for her to finish bathing. I'm going to be selfish because I don't want to have 60 hours of no sleep, straight, and expect to do a grand jete.

My blister has been festering for more than a week, and it's not getting better!

So so sleepy.

Mission Impossible:
Stay up the next two nights (minimal sleep) to finish float. Followed by getting dressed and made up (with fancy butterfly face paint - zit alert!) on Friday morning, 5 a.m. and performing on pure exhaustion.

I wonder what Thursday's All Night's going to be like, what with the whole dental community of S'pore attending. I haven't thought of what unique thing about me I'm going to introduce, nor what Thomas and I will be displaying.

I find it fascinating, yet very scary that everyone in the dental community of S'pore knows each other (as well as M'sia and other peers, probably). It makes sense because it's such a small group of professionals but it also means you have to know people, and make friends to go places. And all this while I thought this would be the job with the least office politics.

Welcome to adulthood.

I like my room. I went to bed feeling snuggly and homey, like a satisfied housewife. I like when I enter the room and smell the Glade air freshener refill (which I bought wrongly but still works).

When I woke up, I was so anal about the spider I saw and so pissed when the Shieldtox was too difficult to press. Now I'm being further anal about when and how to wash my clothes that I need to rewear, and that I've to dress formal for the upcoming Dean's speech and photo session on Wed at Faculty of Dentistry, and the introduction to the entire dental family on Thursday.

Our float is looking pretty nice. Oscar Francis, the gay puppet we created has purple shoes with pink stripes, a black tux with a red shirt, and a rainbow coloured hat. Worse, his peach coloured face was repainted a cosmetic-y pink, like a sunburnt angmoh. But he's super cute.

Now that I've found several people staying at PGP or KE Hall, Mom doesn't have to go paranoid anymore about me getting attacked walking home late at night.

So I'm happy, but I wish there was somebody I could call and just gab away with. Like a bestie. Like once upon a time.

Last night, I went to bed at 3 a.m. and forgot that things are not the same as when I was last in Singapore. I rolled on to the bed, and onto Mom, who went 'Oof'. I went, 'Omg, sorry sorry!' Totally forgot that my old bed is occupied. I crawled onto my mattress and the next second I heard a loud snore. I sat up and listened very carefully, thinking it was Mama. Nope, it was Mom. I was actually laughing out loud to myself in the dark. And today she said she didn't even know I'd landed on her.

My new room is very nice. But I'll have no one to talk to. And my new laptop is so glaring, it hurts my eyes.

My whole body is aching. It feels like deja vu - flashback to JC days of dancing insanely. This time it's cos' my even older body has had to endure ballet moves that have not been executed in more than a year. Spirit is willing, but flesh is weak.

Everyone thinks I'm a whiner. Which I know I am, because my opening line of every sentence is usually a complaint of some sort. These 3 days, it's a complaint about an ache or tiredness. But rest assured, I do it good-spiritedly! No one is more enthu than me! =P

As much as rushing for Rag in 2 weeks is draining us, I'm sure I'd much rather this continue than lessons. I'm feeling nervous about practicals, and whether I can be fast enough to catch things. Because it's becoming closer and closer the reality of what the profession does. No more books and theory, it's a full-fledged career.

Orientation is getting to be mad tiring. It's like JC all over again. I just got home at 11:45 pm-ish and that was thanks to Jared's friend Sarah's friend Helena, our Year 3 senior who lives around Yio Chu Kang as well. So yeah, everyone's super nice and the whole fac is pretty tight knit.

While float building, we went to take a look at Pharmacy's full dress rehearsal. (Where I met Rebecca from dentistry interview whose contact I lost!) That was the funnest part because their theme has cyborg characters, with very cool metallic costumes, swimming cap and weird intricate concoction of eye glasses and wire forming a half goggle on their faces. Just before dancing, I looked at one of the cyborgs closely, and the cyborg stared back. He pointed. I pointed. ROMAN! Haha, that was just such a funny moment. They danced super coordinated and I just knew it was the Roman touch. Good old Roman.

I should be moving in to PGP on Saturday finally. Don't really want to be lonely, but without a car and not wanting to waste my life away on public transport, I've got to get my butt moving with the moving house. Everything's still a whirlwind but in the back of my mind, I'm still counting on old pals to catch up. Nostalgia, I guess.

After another long day of building hopping and admin stuff, I trudged home from the bus stop. (Taking the bus is WAY more comfortable than the train.)

Walking around the estate to the main gate of Thomson Grove, only one thing went through my mind: 'Why isn't there someone to stop and give me a lift?' All those NUS Matric bags were turning me into Quasimodo. And this was after I'd recycled half of them on campus.

At the guardhouse, a taxi stopped and the door opened. I saw Mom's head, and she said, 'I thought it was you walking!' 'Eh, it's you!' I cried. So I got in and rode the final 100 meters home.

Bakri, the taxi driver looked pretty amused. Seems he found out Mom needs a cab quite often so whenever he's in the area he gives her a call.

Don't you just love surprises?

From One Soil To Another

It has been one long day of travelling and cat-napping. Time really passes quickly when you know how to sleep anytime, anywhere.

I had my McD's Fillet O' Fish all by my lonesome, turning my back anti-socially on other people so I could stare at my 2 luggage bags. To avoid paying for overweight baggage (which I didn't even have to in the end), I decided to hand carry one, and now my right palm is all chafed and raw feeling. It hurts to wash my hair. Curse you, you weak left limb!

Good thing I went to NUS today, because I am not going back for another long session like that again. And thank goodness I made it as one of the last few before the X-Ray Clinic closed for the day. Chriselle was such a dear, accompanying me the whole time while I went into room after room. Saw a couple of NJC-ians, and Pravin! He called my name, and I couldn't see anyone at first. I love coincidences like these. It makes life so... lively.

Very glad I'm staying there (although minus the perks of a comfy home) because the journey back was the final straw to my poor feet. 1 hour and 40 minutes from leaving the building to reaching the house.

I am getting all geared up! (Psyching myself to my first year of solitude.)

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I suddenly realize how wonderful it is to have friends you can feel secure in your relationship with. Friends who you do not hesitate to ask or say anything for fear of offence or rejection. Friends you don't have to put up a front with, or worry about being overbearing or clingy. Missing you people. =(

Farewell To Me

This is the first sleepover that I woke up feeling so refreshed and not tired! Even at 5 a.m., it all felt so normal, without my usual stress over getting enough beauty sleep. Everything seems to be flowing good.

Highlights of the night were going to Spicy Kitchen in one car, expecting either Lips or Golo to drive up in another. So 10 of us squashed in KAR 8018 (or CarBoight) with 3 passengers in the boot. So fun and refugee-like, haha. So many of us were driving into Nadia that the guard asked Natasha if she was also going to unit #123, and if Phyllis was her friend.

At Spicy, Smarty Nat decided everyone had to have the same drink. Stef and I shouted, 'Teh Tarik!'

We got the shock of our lives when we were waiting outside my old house in the dark at 1 plus. Someone suddenly knocked loudly on the rear windscreen. We couldn't see anybody around and the 3 jakuns at the back screamed and screamed and screamed. Finally we saw my Dad grinning, walking to the house, just returning from work. They screamed so loud (OK, maybe I screamed, too) that people in the house could hear them although we were in the car.

All night, we just hung around, reminisced about high school, looked at old photos and videos and finally dragged our butts up to shoot new clips. None of which I look particularly nice in, but that's just for our eyes. =) The butt dance was so super funny! And Shang & Nat make very good pimps, while I'm sure the rest of you already know how good you are as ahems.

I'm REALLY GOING TO MISS MY GANG! =(

The plant telephone.

Middle-seat hoggers.

The poor mistreated beings a.k.a. Phyl & I.

KAR 8018

"9 Teh Tarik!"

Hah! Forced the 3 piggies to sit behind.

A tremendous first - 9 of us together at an event.

Quah, you stole my pictures of the heads. (And all the others you copied without returning to me.)

Blue Moon

Worli Sea Face on Flickr © Swami Stream

Gah. Packing is taking forever. And I cannot find my jeans! I don't believe I've worn them in months but I have to find them since they're gonna be my staple wear soon.

I notice a diurnal sort of pattern in my emotions daily. I wake up and go, 'Crap. I can't do this.' By afternoon, especially after having woken up early for prayer meeting, I'm feeling super optimistic, pumped up and excited for the future. By late afternoon, I'm starting to feel semi-depressed. If I go out with friends that day, the high will last a little longer, maybe until night. By the time I'm about to sleep, I'm feeling so blue and emo, pondering the endlessness of time, gazing at the path I imagine my life will take. Just before I fall asleep, I think, 'Actually, what's the big deal? Life is going to be good.' And I sleep happy.

The next day, it starts all over again.

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It always feels so good to be missed and wanted. Why can't people appreciate each other more often?

127m Above Street Level

Thanks to Johanna's visit, our gang has probably done more sight-seeing in Malaysia than the rest of my 19 years combined. And yesterday, we got up early to reach KLCC at 7 am so we could get free tickets for the Skybridge.

Pui Yee & JT, the latecomers. Don't feel bad, Pui, how could we have let you stand at the end of the line?
(I was trying to snap a picture of Batman there, wearing the same T-shirt that Margaret almost wore.)

Although, you have to admit, they did cut in front of a LONG line of people.

Someone cut off Margaret, oops. And I put this up cos' Ah Pui looks so pretty. =)

We discovered the Ju-On effect in the Exhibition Area.

Funky 3D glasses. I had no idea what happened in the show and I think Robin decided to sleep.

Margaret found herself a little French girl.
Alice (?) wouldn't let go of Margaret, and her parents were so cute.
Although we were surprised they just let her go with a stranger like that.

Lovey-dovey couples.

Close-up of Tower 1 or Tower 2. They ARE twins, after all, so who can tell?

JT, measuring his height with this machine that compares it with the height of famous buildings.
They made him 188 cm - what a fake. I measured myself against Jin Mao Building and they made me shorter, too!

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Omigosh, buffet steamboat at Yuen's that night was the hardest I'd laughed in forever. My chest was aching and I thought I'd go into cardiac arrest plus I wasn't breathing. They had a sign saying they charge RM6 for every 100g of food that's wasted. So we went wild with suggestions on how to get rid of our food without them noticing.

Things like scooping out the prawns and crabs and breaking them into parts (severing off the prawn's head) and then spreading out the separated pieces onto different plates like they were remnants of a meal. We each tried to eat a mango slice but it was so hard and dry and tasted like... cardboard (assuming cardboard is tasteless). I suggested camouflaging them by placing them strategically on the yellow tablecloth.

Other tactics like sticking food that matched our clothes colours onto our clothes. Or hiding food bits in bowls of soup. Or stuffing your mouth full of food and spitting it out in the toilet bowl. To our horror, when we went to pay the bill, there were CCTVs all over behind the counter. Watching us all along.

And we saw Batman number 2! We seriously thought it was the same guy from the Skybridge at first and I really wanted to say hi. Luckily I realized in time that it wasn't him. What a popular T-shirt.

And even funnier, we took an exit onto the Federal Highway, drove around lost but confidently and came back onto a main road where Robin started clapping because he thought we'd evaded a toll. Actually we were back on the exact same spot we started except in the opposite direction. I think I got abs from laughing so hard.

This is one awesome movie. The Batman franchise is seriously the best of all the superheroes. And now I see why Heath Ledger supposedly died for this role. He was phenomenal. Thinking about his death throughout sort of intensified the show. I realized after the movie that my hands were numb because I was frozen in position with my jaw open and my fingers clenched to my neck for about an hour.