Physics...

...is common sense, right?

So why do I feel more confused now - I'm losing my common sense! ARGHHH.


Okayyyyyy ger, this is O LEVEL PHYSICS, how difficult can it be... -repeat to self-

春到湘江 and other co-ish stuff

春到湘江 on the guzheng.

And gladys is idolised. Hehe.

丰收锣鼓 HKCO - their pai gu player's really enjoying himself, he added loads of extra beats.

井岗山上太阳红 - this little girl is 10 years old. 2nd prize. I can hear why, because there are a few missing notes, but STILL. This is amazing. I feel so 自卑。

姑苏行 - I don't like this song for erm, obvious reasons, but 俞逊发 plays it SO MARVELOUSLY I just have to put this up.

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My right ear seems a bit off after today's practice. I am starting to dislike xiao-D. And 战台风. And I firmly believe that the 古筝 IS a solo instrument and should NOT be played in an ensemble. The 古筝 is to chinese instruments like what the piano is to western instruments - the player has the ability to accompany himself. Neither sounds good in a huge ensemble. Best appreciated in solos, concertos or at the very most duets.

CH3CH2OH

The Damian and Alex Show never fails to cheer me up. I was laughing in under a minute, despite all the doom and gloom of the last 2 days. Its a very unique, very hilarious camaraderie and (dare I say it?) there's great chemistry! LOL.

I was the only one who touched anything containing ethanol (1 glass dessert wine, because damian was driving and alex suspects he's allergic to it), unless you want to count the tiramisu, but I think the casual observer can't tell who's the only one who drank in our party of 3 because we all took turns to sprout rubbish. Well, apart from the initial hour, because I bloom very quickly due to my lousy alcohol tolerance levels. Could have easily ordered a second glass, but then at the end of it I'd either be sprouting nonsense or blissfully asleep, as experience dictates. Wine is gooooooooooooood. Apparently I'm quite given to cackling like a hyena after alcohol, so I was trying to keep it down after noticing.

Actually - being drunk. I don't think its a nice feeling, and I don't think I want to go there either. Being mildly high on alcohol just makes me happier for a while but I think being completely inebriated - that sucks. First you laugh, then you cry, then you vomit, then its the drunken stupor, then the awakening and the amazing headache with the amazing hangover. Not my idea of a great time, really. So (to me now) it all boils down to control. Or maybe I haven't hit the point of no return, and so I'm not qualified to say anything. But really, it seems like a conscious choice you make. Being addicted to alcohol, becoming a regular drinker - it just isn't me. It isn't me the same way clubbing isn't me. I can grow to like wine, and I have, but the fact remains that at this stage, putting a cup of liquid containing ethanol to my nose and mouth still feels like lab - that I'm drinking ethanol.

But I think alcohol is dehydrating, so I need to drink loads of water. H2O H2O H2O. Loads and loads and loads of molecules of H20. (Great, I sound drunk.)

Not sure if I'm going to get killed for this, but they're like this bunch of great girlfriends that most girls have, that I don't. Granted, they're not girls - I know damian sees himself as some sort of pesky brother of mine and I occasionally call alex my meimei.. okay.. nevermind. For it to come down this way, I guess I'm not exactly a typical girl either.

2am dessert bar at holland v is good! The ambience is great - its perfect for parties of 2 actually (Thank heavens no obvious PDA-ing couples, I'd probably have thrown something at them), which is not so great when the 3 of us had to squeeze in that space because of erm, stuff like stinky feet and size. Not my kind of music, but after a glass of wine its all the same. Nevertheless, the desserts, while pricey, are interesting and pretty worth it. Unless you order the blackberry thingy, which I still think is a complete RIP OFF - sorry, damian, but its interesting because it comes with a little conical flask of what's that, thyme? I expected my mudslide to be, well, BROWN in colour, but the main feature turned out to be white chocolate mixed with cheese - and it tastes better than it originally sounded to me. Alex's tiramisu was the safest option, and it was good (the espresso ice cream was really espresso!), but I think there could be more rum to it heh heh. The toilet is a work of art too. In all a very nice place I'd say, apart from its location which took us some time to find.


Ice wine going for 60 bucks at cold storage - I am tempted.

I smell macdonalds. This is crazy. I need sleep already.

Its the End of the World (As we know it)

Meredith: ... 'Cause you never think the last time is the last time, you think there'll be more. You think you have forever, but you don't... I just-I just need something to happen. I need a sign that things are gonna change. I need a reason to go on. I need some hope. And in the absence of hope, I need to stay in bed and feel like I might die today.




Which is what I wanted to do today, except that mummy was pottering around in my room threatening to throw away a whole bunch of my belongings as part of spring cleaning. So I got up, saved my belongings and spent the rest of the day watching Grey's - Never mind that its the nth time I'm watching some of them, and never mind that I know that the situations are so unrealistic.

And as the year draws to a close...

I have been feeling quite sick. Ugh. Food doesn't seem to agree very well with my stomach recently. Maybe its the hormones - although bio knowledge states that its at the lowest possible in a month. Plus my nose is leaking, and my eyes feel like they're gonna pop out any moment.

Years ago I never thought I'd be spending life this way - drifting around doing nothing. The boredom isn't as bad as I envisioned it to be, although it IS starting to get on my nerves. I'd be prepared the next time the holidays roll around: EMPLOYMENT!

This is cute! The bad spelling's irritating, but the captions are spot on.
What an attitude!


Spring cleaning with mummy is driving me nuts. She wants to throw everything, I want to keep everything.

Results..

My results are out, and they're topsy turvy.

How do I react when they're like my A level grades - the 2 modules I've been doing well during the semester are now my 2 worst grades (even worse when one of them is the 6mc one), and the 2 which has made my life a nightmare end up with the best grades. I really don't know what I should do now, what I should expect. And my CAP did go up, but by such a minuscule amount its hardly worth mentioning. So morale of the story is: if some modules start off well, its not a good sign.

Boxing Day.

I can't wait for the semester to start - I need work. Heh.

Results tomorrow!

I think I'm shifting.



Some time ago I wondered if God gave me you to cope with adversities in 2006 and to help me find Him again, and once I was done with it you would be taken from me. Its the end of 2007 now: I have moved on from the disappointments in 2006, adjusted to university, found a new direction, reinvited Him back into my life - and now you say you don't love me like you did anymore.



God, please. Let me be wrong.

On Dreaming.

This looks very, very interesting. But I'd have to raise S$8000 for it.

Alternatively I could choose to go to Nepal, or Mongolia, since they are cheaper. (Though not by very much!) But Ghana seems more interesting to me. Or I could search out another organisation, but I do kinda think that the lower prices elsewhere mostly translates to other inadequacies, and I'd end up paying the same anyway. Either way, I do not have adequate funding for any of these options at this point in time.

A simple calculation will also indicate that I won't have the necessary funds by summer 2008 either, so it means that if I want to, I'd have to work my ass off summer 2008 (and get an additional tutee for a higher price) to go in summer 2009, which I had originally earmarked for a French (In Quebec HEHE) immersion. (and planned to work my ass off anyway) Decisions, decisions.

Which also kinda means that I'd have to shelve all my little daydreams for any small trips out of town during any up and coming holidays in order to channel limited funds to the big summer 2009 - I was thinking of Vietnam/Cambodia or even Taiwan again for summer 2008. Was looking forward to traveling to Vietnam or Cambodia in the near future (near meaning the next holidays - I even borrowed Lonely Planet!) which would be a whole new kind of travel for me since it would likely be a backpacking event. (And the immense parental objection oooh.) And if I travel far north enough might even reach Yunnan, which is a place I've wanted to go to for quite a while. Schade.

Results out on the 27th. I am at once worried that I won't do well, and at peace because I know I've worked the hardest possible this semester.

Joyeux Nöel!

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:8-14

the louvre in singapore

71 outing with mr wong to the sg history museum yesterday. It was... interesting. Hehe.

hc130 met up for lunch before that, and for the first time since our group was created, we ate at a food centre. I arrived late (for once I must say) and they asked if I was fine with buying 12 donuts for the class as a christmas present. Well, I'm sure I could refuse if I wanted to... Later we wrote a whole lot of rubbish on the box.

The greek collection from the louvre was really interesting. I'm terrible at names, so at first glance all the names literally looked like greek to me, until I hear the front part of the story and go OHH. The greek gods are, to quote mr wong, "a horny and hedonistic bunch."

Zeus really loved mankind. and womenkind, naturally. Manwhore. Hera is a vain and jealous (but powerful) bitch - there isn't another better word for it, but if I had a husband like Zeus and if I had the power to turn all the women (and men.) he was fooling around with into random animals, I would. Or maybe I'd turn the philanderer into an animal first. Hermes is a big gossip king. Aphrodite and Ares - let's not go into that.

And the status of women in greek society is pretty crappy. Unless you're a courtesan/musician/other undesirable profession, you aren't allowed out of the house if unaccompanied by a male relative, nor have access to decent education, among other issues.

I'm getting lazy so I'd stop here for the moment.

hic.

Fruit wine on Thursday night, Ice wine on Friday night, 雪哈 (hashima - frog intestines/ fat/ sperm, depending on your source) in red date soup on Saturday and jelly from 九份 and pineapple pastry from taiwan now. Life is Good on the gastronomic front. Especially the wine. Mmm.

I am starting to acquire a taste for wine. Which is not good, because I don't have the money to feed my favourite addiction (ice wine), not even on a celebratory basis.

CO camp has ended, which is a great great great load off my mind. I was so afraid that it'd fall apart somewhat, but (I think) it didn't. In fact, I think I enjoyed friday afternoon the best =) Must thank my exco, especially my supremely capable social secretary and treasurer for all the good work!

Food.

I have a sudden craving for sushi.

And I am addicted to chicken essence.

To my big toe and nothing else.

Dear Big Right Toe,

I don't know why you're giving me this. Fine, I admit, I've been shoving you up close and personal (okay, violently) with objects you'd rather not kiss ie. hard surfaces. But trust me, when I say it hurts me the same was as it hurts you, I'm serious. And given a chance to do it all over again, I'd gladly opt NOT to.

Now. It has been nearly a month, and this has got to stop before 2008. You hurt me everytime I put my foot in a shoe, even if the shoe is perfectly sized. I intend to take LSM2202 next month, which involves lab work, and therefore, covered shoes. I have ceased wearing covered shoes everyday ever since I graduated from hc, unlike the previous 15 years of formal education. You no longer have any right to make my life miserable via your infantile and childish actions ie. ingrowing toenails. I have generally treated you well, apart from the dates which involved long walks from dhoby gaut to marina bay like in 2005-6; however, now that the relationship has gone long distance, I have ceased to put you through this torture. Shopping trips don't last that long either. You really ought to reciprocate.

I know whatever you're pulling off now isn't an ingrowing toenail, because I haven't managed to dig out any sharp edged keratin bits. I am perfectly aware that it probably has to do with the bluish-black spot on the toenail surface. Whatever it is, pull yourself together, and stop hurting me before 2008 rolls by.

Regards,
ger

(suitably inspired by sarah. hehe)

Je suis gros.

Am getting fatter. Great. Must eat lesser.

I'm considering the possibility of skipping French test tmr (!!!) because I am completely not prepared in the flurry of events that have taken place over this week.

nyco dinner

after so many years (okay 4 years after graduation isn't a lot), I am still being hopelessly bullied by my juniors. Especially all together. Its like a positive feedback loop, with zx, cn and jh TOGETHER.

tc hasn't changed. No more happy new year, but still.

Felt quite sad that I don't exactly know the dizi juniors anymore. Well, I know certain things, like the fact that they now all go for private lessons and sat for the graded examinations, and that yzy made them (!!!!!), which is a far far far far far cry from our time. Am quite thankful that the equipment screwed up and they couldn't get to play the 2002 concert recording/video/whatever, because if they did, I'd crawl to the toilet and hide there until a particular screwed up song ends. JUST BURN THAT ENTIRE RECORDING!!!! BURN IT!! RAWR!!!!!!

ahem.

Ms chek was all radiant and happy and bouncing around.

I don't think I'd forget those times when us young and wide-eyed dizi sec1s first joined 大组 later than everyone else in our batch and whenever she noticed us during practices we just wanted to disappear in fear.

Its kind of weird to see cherie as nyco's vp. haha. Like, here's my little cousin! (who tried to trap me in the stupid lift.)

Hair cutting...

is supposed to be therapeutic, right?

So why do I always regret the haircuts?


I miss doing work. I don't miss the university life, I just miss being compelled-to-do-this, its-for-my-cap busy. Maybe I miss mugging bio stuff. Because I felt as though I did learn something new this semester, not mucking around pseudo A level, hc blocktest style knowledge. The thing about the latter - it lured me into a false sense of security, thinking that I already know most of the stuff being covered when the truth was that I knew. Note the usage of past tense. Who says you retain everything from JC?

Had dinner with MSG with patron/manager/whatever on Tuesday night, sans gladys. Twas a hilarious affair that saw me traveling all the way to J8 from nus, wasting a bit of time at the library, eating at dtf and listening to alex gripe about life, damian and I whining about utter boredom now that semester1 has ended, adjourning to coffee bean where wk finally turned up and where great hilarity and loads of dripping liquid and overturned cups - okay fine it was just one (and off colour jokes - lubricant, SERIOUSLY.) ensured. Don't I miss this bunch of mad people, where we could be as bio/science mad as we wanted (sorry wk =P). I can't remember how we actually came up with the GAG band part, maybe it was alex's off-key rendition of the national anthem every morning that became the inspiration (gladys reckons its a minor 2nd off). It was purely coincidental that the first letters of our names, when arranged according to age, actually formed a word. Damian didn't want to have any part in it, though admitably, GDAG isn't a word, but we had to include him somewhere - so he decided to be the patron, despite our insistence that a band needs a manager more. And then being the bio people we are, we got (okay fine gladys and I) got a little excited when we realised that GAG is the codon/anticodon (its the same anyway) for glutamic acid, which reacts with sodium (Na - wk - don't ask) to give MSG. Taa Daa.

But yes, my point is, I miss the sharing of stupid random bio stuff, and all the ribbing and jabbing and poking (okay, maybe not the poking). And The Damian and Alex Show is still going strong, I must say. What a great love-hate relationship. =P
Gladys also recently enlightened me that our little joke of the exploding aphid (see translocation studies, A level bio) isn't going to happen in real life after all - in fact, it'd probably shrivel up. Still equally hilarious. And oh, gladys, if you're reading this, we hope you enjoy whatever that's heading over to London now. There's still a part 2 actually, but it'd have to be delayed for a while since you'd be heading to austria, you lucky pig.

Siberian Husky.

Acting as though he just broke up with his gf. HEHE.

Crash into Me.

I was all ready to go to sleep when I noticed that the latest episode of Grey's out. Wow. I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight, with the scenes replaying in my mind.

Error.

I repeatd my mistake of deleting the pictures off the post on quebec city (again) so erm, I've just put it back up.

Did a post on daily life in Stuttgart
here. I think I should be able to spare an entry on the Mercedes Benz museum and Schwäbisch Hall too, if I'm free enough.

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I need a haircut. The ends of my hair are so much like dead grass, I feel as though I'm lugging a fire hazard around.

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I found this picture while messing around with the folders on my laptop a few days back - I've almost forgotten about it! I can't remember what I was doing, but suffice it to say that ivle gave me this page and I was whining to hs about it, who typed this in. We laughed for a while, and then he suddenly hit submit. I nearly died.

C'est fini!

I don't know if the French title is correct, but I've completed my entries on New York and Québec City! Now I'm uh, left with Toronto/Niagara Falls, Montréal and Stuttgart. I'd probably just do a finishing concluding post on the latter 2, because I did so much there on an everyday basis, I can't blog about any particular day just like that. And because most of the pictures taken at the former are still with hs and I can't possibly trouble him now since his exams are coming up, I guess its C'est tout! for now.

And because some people -coughsiencoughhanshengcough- have griped about having to search through my archives in order to view those posts, here are the links below.

New York
and
Québec City.

I'm not a nap-y person: meaning, I don't take afternoon naps. But I seem to be particularly susceptible to them after the exams. Is it the fatigue from the entire semester crashing down on me, now? I sleep at 0230, wake at 1030 with some difficulty (I can easily sleep till 1200 now) and feel all lethargic and sleepy by 1630.

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Hellooooooo National Geographic, can you send me the latest magazine ON TIME for once?! If you're always going to send me my subscriber's copy in the middle of the month when I've been seeing it in stores for the past 2 weeks or so, then there isn't really a point in me subscribing, is there?

Grr.

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To go "Awwwwwwwwwww!" for a long time, visit Polar Bear Photos. I just wasted an hour looking at white bears and more white bears on snow, snow and more snow. They look SO adorable and huggable (!!!!!!), but they are actually the only bear species that will routinely hunt humans.

My bacteria ramblings have stalled, it seems. I'm still procrastinating over a whole fat load of stuff.

Apple Juice

Do you know how much I miss you?

-sneeze-

My nose has been leaking so often, its getting irritating.

I just might be falling sick. The only bright side about this is that my academic work won't suffer. Hohoho.

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I need a shopping partner. Vivocity, anyone?

Also, this is the birthday season for the family: my cousin kicked it off in october, followed by my brother in november. Yesterday (meaning december 1st) would have been grandma's: she would have been 79 (I think) if cancer didn't take her nearly 2 years ago -what a 19th birthday that was- , today's my aunt's, 2 week's later its going to be my father, then my 2nd cousin in january, my godma, then february's gonna come and its going to be my 3rd cousin, then me! I'm going to be a legal adult! The 1st baby in the family who made everyone call in sick because she kept everyone up by crying the night away when she was brought home's all grown up! (Well, almost.) And because of that, they've been asking me how I want to celebrate the occasion, as well as my wishlist.

Well. I am NOT keen on the idea of a party (sorry my friends) despite the urging of my parents, because I think its going to be really weird, having friends from different parts of my life all in the same room. And because I don't think I have that many friends. And because the bf isn't around and I'd probably feel more miserable than happy anyway (not like we've ever celebrated any birthdays together). And because its too darn near to February 14 and I'd be sour from all the lovey dovey displays everywhere. And because I'm a lazy bum. And because its just another day, and every day is special, every day is a gift, not just 12 February. And because 11 February 2008 is her 2nd death anniversary and I'd be glum. And because 21 is just another age, after all. We attach significance to it only because the law dictates it to be so here. And because I'm secretly fed up of all the hooha over 21st birthdays and as usual, I'm opting to go against the flow.

And my wishlist contains the usual suspects: religious freedom, approval, medical school, studying abroad, travel opportunities. While most of it aren't things that can be given to me by anyone because they involve certain people and/or certain conditions that I have to meet, what my friends -cough- can do would be to erm, get me useful stuff! Like I'd just melt and die of happiness if someone buys me the mcat preparatory stuff by kaplan (It costs $145 at Borders - I wanted to stab myself in the eye when I saw it.), or seriously volunteers to tutor me in physics and parts of chemistry and make sure I stick to learning it, or other various textbooks like Molecular Biology of the Cell 5th Ed (which apparently is going to be out in late 2007 - its already december, my beloved publishers - cost will probably be higher than $100 too, unfortunately) or Taxi! (because French textbooks are expensive and it forces me to continue with French should I feel lazy when registration period starts) or a French verb conjugation dictionary or make a donation to my Visit Montréal For Summer/Language School 2009 Fund (because I'm not optimistic about my chances for SEP, and because I know I'm going to be working in the summer of 2008 to fund that trip) or my Learn French Fund (which is urm, currently funded by my parents but I feel really guilty because they're paying the price for my indecisiveness.)

The grouch, I am.

Should I do urops next semester? Or in y3? Should I do 2202 too? Or psychology? Next semester I'd be enjoying 2 memory-intensive lsm modules plus (the horror!) statistics, and there's co concert and model un conference. I'd need to think of 2 modules to take. Ideally I'd like to do urops, but I don't know if I can cope with the workload, plus I really need my cap to go UP so I must work even harder (And I will NOT burn out. I WON'T.) I don't think I'd be doing microb after all because I'm not very keen on competing with y3 seniors who are certainly going to be really good at what they are doing since this is an elective module under a particular concentration. I think psychology will be pretty interesting and it's more relevant to medicine or teaching...

Okay. I've decided on psychology and 2202 next sem, urops for y3. Yay for me, I really should have planned on what I want to achieve in my time here. I feel like I wasted my 1st year academically. Like why on earth did I take geog? Sighh. And German - technically it isn't a waste because I did enjoy myself, but at the expense of, say, French, which would be more useful and relevant in my grand scheme of things (I say MY scheme because I don't know what God has planned for me which involves me learning German for 1 year and then giving it up. But of course, it will all be good.)

Actually its as though all the refreshing cool air in Canada and Germany woke me up. Like, helloooooo ger wake up your idea you're stuck here, and its not the end of the world! Well, it will be if I keep up my "Can't be bothered" attitude towards all things lifescience and screw up my CAP (which really happened, a wee bit too late, that.) but in all I have a second chance! Its like sitting for my A levels all over again, in a sense, because I'm still aiming for a place in medicine somewhere at the end of it all. And it may be too late to undo the overall damage to my CAP (which has seen me lose my SEP chance too - tough luck, but I can go without it, to be truthful, because financially it would be difficult for my parents), I can still do something to the rest of it. (And not screw up the mcat which I probably will take in y4.)

And this time, its for real - I'm happier this semester, despite all the crap that has happened, and the myocardiac infarction-inducing modules. I haven't cried into my pillow over being in life sciences this semester. I haven't exactly wallowed in misery over not studying medicine for some time - at most, its more of a wistful "I-wish-I-could-be-studying-that-now", and then its back to work for the future. I sure hope my results this semester reflect that! =X

Its almost 4a.m. Time for bed!

Wow this sure is a whole lot of verbal diarrhoea.