awaiting the next peak

Photobucket

2005-07-17T04:45:35Z

This is a test post from Photobucket.com

altling @ 2005-05-14T12:00:00

2005-05-14T03:58:39Z

Your Birthdate: June 21

Being born on the 21st day of the month (3 energy) is likely to add a good bit of vitality to your life.

The energy of 3 allows you bounce back rapidly from setbacks, physical or mental.

There is a restlessness in your nature, but you seem to be able to portray an easygoing, "couldn't care less" attitude.

You have a natural ability to express yourself in public, and you always make a very good impression.

Good with words, you excel in writing, speaking, and possibly singing.

You are energetic and always a good conversationalist.

You have a keen imagination, but you tend to scatter your energies and become involved with too may superficial matters.

Your mind is practical and rational despite this tendency to jump about.

You are affectionate and loving, but very sensitive.

You are subject to rapid ups and downs.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Updates

2005-05-12T08:00:36Z

My trip has been postponed to 18th May (Wed). There has been so many changes this few days that I'm actually wondering what I have gotten myself into....:P The place I'll be in is called Balapitiya. We'll be building a community hut for the refugees to carry out communal activities and beds and shelves for them as they are now currently sleeping on thin mats on the soil, which will be problematic when the rainy season sets in about now. And also carrying out activities for the children and women. I'm not feeling fantastic about the accomodation as there is only one toilet, the primitive type and we may have to dig additional holes for our erm, waste disposal (!!). I'll be there till 2nd June and will go off on a short trip with some of the team-mates to Kandy to see some archaeological sites. Will be back in S'pore on 5 June. I'm really excited about seeing the sites, when I was young, I dreamt of being an archaeologist, having been fascinated by what I read about Egypt, the Incas, Angkor Wat etc, and watching the Indiana Jones movies. LOL. Vesak Day will also be spent in Sri Lanka, it will be really interesting to see how the Theravada school celebrates this holy day. I also realised I'll be spending quite a lot on this trip, when I havn't even secured a job (sighz). Never mind, in my typical escapist mode, I'll worry about the money and job later! :p

I'm going to Sri Lanka

2005-05-04T10:16:33Z

I've just been accepted into a SIF team to Sri Lanka to help out in the tsunami reconstruction effort! Yay! Details are not out yet but they are rushing to get us there by 15th May....which leaves me with 1 week of preparation after the exams?! OK, I'll see how it goes....

a close shave

2005-04-05T15:21:19Z

What is it with falling windows these days? Today, I nearly ended up cut and bloodied. I was on bus 10 on my way home in the afternoon and sleeping as usual. Suddenly, I was jolted awake. I opened my eyes dreamily (yes, I am a very heavy sleeper even when napping on buses) and got a shcok of my life. The entire window beside me was completely smashed in and shards of glass was all over the seat and probably me as well. I was too shocked to check. The man in front of me was cut on his head and was bleeding. Some passengers checked on him while I got up. Some shards fell off me and I realised there were some minor cuts on my hands. Luckily I was wearing my jacket or my whole arm would have been cut too. The incredible thing is that no one checked if I was ok. The smashed window was just directly beside me! I switched to another seat and it was only when I asked a girl what happened (the bus was hit by a side mirror of another bus, I think) that she then asked if I was ok. She gave me a plaster for the cuts and a man then told me there were shards on my hair. I flicked my hair hard and the big pieces fell off. Thankfully, the shards miraculously just landed without cutting my scalp, unlike the poor guy. The bus driver called for an ambulance, my cuts were confirmed to be superficial and the man was sent to hospital. I was too tired and shaken then and called my father to come and fetch me. I'm still thinking I'm extremely lucky to have escaped unhurt. I could have bore the brunt of the fallen window and been injured. It almost seems as if the shards just landed gently on me. I'm almost thinking that a spritual force is at work, protecting me. Ok, maybe it's just pure physics, the shards lost its force by the time it made its descent on me. :P I am really thanking Buddha and my lucky stars.

The downside of all this? My family had been thinking of going to Bangkok in May for our long-awaited family holiday. But when I commented to my mum that this incident just caps a horrible year for me, she freaked out and said it was too dangerous to go now, especially with the unrest in South Thailand. What the hell? I have been so looking forward to this! I can only hope that I can convince her that she is just being superstitious and paranoid.....

I'm a computer idiot

2005-03-11T03:10:06Z

My home computer's been infected by a bloody virus on Mon and I still can't get it fixed. Norton Antivirus has deleted the infected files and I also managed to remove the spyware that it installed on my computer. Speaking of which, I am highly amused by the spyware developers' lack of shame. They had the audacity to ask questions like "Pls tell us why u would like to remove our software?" and I had to complete all these questions before they can be deleted! But now, Norton itself seems to be down. Auto-Protect cannot be enabled and the Email scanning keeps showing an error message. Hello, it's supposed to be the vanguard against viruses and now it's down too?! And this irritating pop-up window shows up every few seconds telling me that I'm at risk of viruses because Auto-Protect is not enabled. Yes, I do know that! Aaargh, I want an iMac!!

Thoughts

2005-02-04T18:28:18Z

Finding Neverland

One of the whimsical little films that manages to touch your heart and makes you want to believe once again. Johnny Depp is awesome in his role, he IS J.M. Barrie, with his eyes lighting up with his imagination, the pain and anguish when he could not get his wife's understanding, the closeness and bond he shares with the boys and the connection with Kate Winslet. Makes me proud to be a fan of his (and an early one at that)! It's sad to see how Barrie and his wife, despite loving each other deeply, had to separate in the end. Barrie was keen to let his wife into Neverland but she was too caught up in the adult world to believe and imagine. Kate Winslet is also great as the strong mother who wants her boys to have a normal and happy childhood again. I like the way her relationship with Barrie was depicted, it was a quiet connection that needed little verbalisation. It's so sad that she died and the boys were orphaned. The movie is sad but inspiring as well, gently pushing you to feel and reach for more.

Roman Tam and the Three Bears

I watched the above play on Thursday. It's a doublebill: Between Chinas, and Everything but the Brain. Me and my friend read the review in Life and intrigued, decided to go for it. Between Chinas is about an ABC who goes to Hong Kong, the birthplace of his parents to "search for his roots". Fired up by his new-found Chinese pride, he expects a Hong Kong that is infatuated with China. He finds to his dismay that the people of HK are somewhat still fond of the days under the British and are unwilling to see HK being China-nised. They see themselves as distinct from China (from their nonchalance towards Sun Yat Sen) and latches on to homegrown icons like Roman Tam, with his pioneering brand of Cantopop and rags-to-riches story. Somehow, I feel the play bites off more than it can chew. The issues are dealt with quite superficially and I don't know, if I am a Hong Konger, would I be offended by this Singaporean playwright who tries to dissect our mentality? An outsider may see things more clearly but I don't think I got many insights from there.
Everything but the Brain is a poignant and touching play about a daughter's relationship with her father who has suffered a stroke. The play brilliantly contrasts the daughter's present role as the caregiver with the father's role in the past. With their roles switched, they understand each other better and their love for each other becomes stronger. The daughter's desparation to halt the deterioration of her father cumulates to her resorting to using the theory of relativity in an attempt to slow down time, an irony considering she's a Science teacher. The three bears, by the way, refer to three characters in her subconsciousness. In the end, the play teaches us about treasuring our loved ones before it's too late. I should appreciate my parents more. Highly recommended....the plays end on Sunday!

Taufik-ed! Part II

2005-01-23T08:46:39Z

What an exciting day it was yesterday! Haha...I was a fangirl for the first time...Thanks shaney for your company! Thank god we were not captured by the Channelnewsasia camera! :p

The queue for the doors to open was long and hot, but oh well, this must be part and parcel of being a fangirl. I knew that many Malays supported Taufik but to see them overwhelm the Chinese yesterday was still quite a eye-opener. Does he really have so few Chinese fans? Hmm, if I'm a member of a minority group, I think I would adore the guy too for succeeding against the odds.

I think the crowd didn't intentionally laugh at the China girl. She was too nervous and blabbered some indecipherable words and I think everyone was amused by how nervous she was rather than her poor English. When it became clear that she's from China, I thought the laughs died down and Taufik was so nice to help the poor girl out. If anything, I think the party showed how PR-savvy (look at the way he deflected the Leandra question) and how he has quite a wicked sense of humour (when he interacted with his brothers n the hosts and when he parodied the SI judges). It's a pity though he didn't sing a complete song...no "I dream" pls....I'm kind of sick of the cheesy song. His fillial piety was also on display....it was heartwarming to see him acknowledge his mum....she should be so proud of him! He was also amazingly friendly. He agreed readily when I asked to take a photo of him but the guy's such a pro at posing for pictures by now that he dropped his head immediately to the table to continue signing once my flash went off. And I didn't manage to shake his hand....drats! The minders should have known beforehand that 5 items were too high a limit for each person and should have enforced a 1-item rule only right from the start. It's quite unfair to the later groups to be restricted and rushed.

I wouldn't say I was star-struck cos he seemed so much like a regular guy-next-door but it was still great to get so close to him! Am I glad that he was the one who won SI!

Taufik-ed!

2005-01-23T07:03:37Z

Here's the long-awaited pics....Hope it comes out....first time I'm posting a picture and under a cut.

Ole ole ole

2005-01-09T06:45:23Z

Hooray! Singapore beat Indonesia 3-1 yesterday in the Tiger Cup final first-leg! (Pity abt the last min goal by Indonesia though) I must say this is the first time I am impressed by how the Lions played in a long long time. First time I'm seeing the Lions take the lead so early in the match, managing not to fall into complacency when they had the lead, tackling with gusto, stringing some nice, flowing passes, and LOL, singing the national anthem so loudly and with pride. What a contrast with the teams of the past...I can really see how this current team can go on to win the cup and I think the new coach is quite fantastic, to be able to gel the team together and and foster a sense of belief in the players. Now, I am tempted to go watch the second leg in the National Stadium next Sun! The last time I watched the Lions live was, gasp, 10 years ago during the 1994 Malaysia Cup....

CFM

2005-01-07T05:33:51Z

Interesting....I managed to get GEK 2506: Drugs and Society as my breadth module and guess what, one of the questions for the term paper goes like this: "Drugs have been used to create storylines for the television series Crime Scene Investigations (CSI). Discuss."
And I just rented Disc 1 of Season 1 before I knew about this. Is this a sign or what? :p

results :(

2004-12-24T04:55:08Z

Err...here's my results too....

PL4207: Social Psyc - Theories & Methods: B+
PL4213: Cognitive Neuropsychology: B+
PL4214: Evolutionary Psychology: B+
PL5223: Psychometrics & Psychological Testing: B
MKT1003: Principles of Marketing: S

No As...Kind of expected the results though cos I admit I didn't work hard enough this sem....so many "if onlys"...

Outing?

2004-12-17T16:14:32Z

Now that everyone's in Singapore now (anyone going off again?), let's have an outing! Next week?

We have a range of choices:
-Exercise our vocal chords: Karaoke
-Eyeball: Movies (suggestions?)
-Just a Dinner
-Sun, sand and wind: Cycling in ECP
-Touch base with nature: Visit Sungei Buloh Nature Park etc
-Embarrass ourselves: Bowling

Hehe....hope to hear ur views coming in!

altling @ 2004-11-26T21:18:00

2004-11-26T13:18:52Z


edward scissorhands are love
brought to you by the isLove Generator

Cool!!

altling @ 2004-11-21T12:55:00

2004-11-21T04:55:14Z

You Are the Peacemaker

9

You are emotionally stable and willing to find common ground with others.

Your friends and family often look to you to be the mediator when there is conflict.

You are easy going and accepting. You take things as they come.

Avoding conflict at all costs, you're content when things are calm.

What number are you?

procrastinating again...

2004-11-15T08:58:06Z

The Crossroads

This is the inviting and welcoming personality type that is most well known for recreational activities and general partying. Always happy in a crowd, the Crossroads love to converse, to relate, and above all to have fun. This personality tends to think in a more holistic approach than many of the other personality types, covering ground piece by piece in a hodgepodge fashion rather than following a single line of logic from beginning to end. Like a crow they are attracted to shiny objects, new ideas, playful exciting colors and the thrill of a new personal relationship.

This is a weird personality test...I'm guessing half the time...:p

The colourgenics quiz

2004-11-15T08:41:59Z

Say it loud and proud: “Ich bin Deutsch” You would feel most at home in the country of snow-capped Bavarian Alps and the Black Forest, of the Rhine and picturesque Beer gardens.

Your personality makes a good fit in Germany, too. Like many Germans, you have a strong pragmatic mind. You tend to reject fantasy and daydreams and refuse to stray from what is tangible reality. You appreciate order, quality engineering and take pride in your own work; you are efficient, hard working and driven in what you do.

That said, you are also a great pleasure seeker. You have compartmentalized work and play in your life and in your mind: when you are working you are focused only on that, but come play time you are greatly attracted to concrete pleasure. You love nature and robust outdoor activities; cuisine is healthy and hearty; home life is simple and hospitable.

Munich is your soul city, with its picturesque architecture nestled away in the mountains, its warm, hospitable beer gardens and polite, welcoming people who work hard and play hard.

altling @ 2004-09-28T23:53:00

2004-09-28T15:54:10Z

Take the What's Your Song? quiz and visit Castle Diqueria.

Hmm...interesting...

a simple test

2004-08-25T17:18:06Z

People....pls help me answer the following simple question....would like to know ur responses....

Click on the comments link only after you have come up with an answer!

A father and his son were driving along the expressway when the father lost control of the car, swerved off the road and crashed into an electric pole. The father died instantly, and his son was crtitically injured. An ambulance rushed the boy to a nearby hospital. A prominent surgeon was summoned to provide immediate treatment. When the surgeon arrived and entered the operating theatre to examine the boy, the surgeon burst into tears and became hysterical. "I can't operate on this boy," the surgeon said, "He is my son!"

Can you explain this? The father died in the crash, so how could the boy be the surgeon's son? Think of as many explanations as you can.

Unlucky....

2004-08-22T13:44:46Z

Damn, Li Jiawei lost...It's not her fault though cos her opponent was playing so defensively that she couldn't display her usual attacking flair. The Korean girl made the match so slow and a torture to watch. But, I just wished she could have shown more patience and coolness and turn the match around....:(
Anywayz, what a campaign it has been so far for the S'pore table tennis team! They can hold their heads high for a job well done. They showed that S;poreans have the physical and mental strength to match the best in the world. Perhaps, luck just surpassed them a little.

Itching already for next year's SEA Games! :p

Emotional roller-coaster

2004-08-19T08:21:30Z

After weeks of anticipation, I finally received a reply from India yesterday! I had sent to the prinicpal of St. Mary's High the photos that I took of the students and also a short letter with my address last month. I was worried that it might not reach them or their reply may have been lost but this really increases my confidence in the India postal service. Haha...so happy. The letters from the principal's wife and some of the girls may have been written in simple, slightly broken English but it was sincere and heartfelt, genuinely happy to receive the photos and hoping to see us again. Oh, I do hope to see them again!

And then Ronald's loss in badminton. I couldn't bear to watch the painful second set. It was bad seeing him struggling. I'm trying to see the bright side of his campaign so far...well, at least he played 2 good matches and beat the world no. 1. And we can certainly hope this will be a good experience for later tournaments.

Spirits were up again when Li Jiawei won the table tennis match....why must there be 7 sets for table tennis?? haha, we were at the edge of our seats when the Japanese player won the 3 rd set. But thankfully, she didn;t break under the pressure....And the Singapore flag remains flying high in Athens....Go Li Jiawei and Zhang Xueling!!

altling @ 2004-08-09T02:15:00

2004-08-08T18:38:28Z

Helped out at the Charity Fiesta at Suntec City today. I arrived at 9.45am (the appointed time), only to be told that the people in charge have not arrived and the booths are not ready yet. Argh....this is one thing I really hate! Tardiness and irresponsibility! Took a walk around Suntec City where the shops have not opened yet. It was a nice feeling walking around the deserted mall, no need to jostle with human traffic, to bear the noise and to be self-conscious in crowded places. After half an hour, I returned and things were finally getting started. I was assigned the Dodo Fishball stall where fishballs, fishcakes, ngoh hiang n fish rolls were to be deep-fried and sold at 3 for $2. Had the chance to exhibit my non-existent culinary skills....thankfully, it was quite simple. This year's fair was smaller but the crowd is better and they are buying stuff. Turns out that Dodo has donated $5000 plus 30% of the sales proceeds. Wow....mightily impressed!
and i saw an ugly Singaporean in the flesh. We had run out of the paper boxes and had to use paper bags (not plastic bags, mind you) instead. The man insisted that we serve him using the box and wanted us to use the one on the table which we used for storing the paper bags. We tried to reason that we needed it and the paper bag was just as good. But the stupid guy refused and scolded us for being unprofessional. Duh...fine, it;s not our fault if you get the runs from eating from the box....

jittery

2004-07-29T02:48:25Z

here I am in the newly renovated Central Library....waiting for 11am to come to see my lecturer. I had asked him to be my supervisor for my project and he wants to see me....gulp...hope everything goes well...*crosses fingers*

oh and the new library is much better....less congested...

Freed from work!

2004-07-21T09:43:33Z

Left my job on Mon. Went out yesterday. Finally, got to wake up late today and spend the whole day lazing in the house.

The job did sap a lot of energy from me. The long hours and the busy schedule that kicked in once I step into the office was quite tiring. But the pay was good. I don't mind working hard for a short period just for the money. :P The colleagues there were nice as well, except for a few. Two of them gave me farewell gifts which got me a little embarrassed since I didn't do much to help them. Ironically, the person whom I assisted quite a lot didn't even bother to say a goodbye when I went to hand over the things. I don't crave for any compliments but surely, a small acknowledgement won't hurt?! Anyway, felt really relieved and light-hearted when I left the office for the last time...Woohoo...can enjoy my hols and stop procrastinating on my preparations for school at last!

Had a Peranakan lunch at Katong with 2 friends from Psychology yesterday. Got to show off my knowledge of Peranakan food and impressed the waiter with my pronounciation. :P They had also gone to India on a YEP trip last month. It was to Tamil Nadu, the state next to Kerala. There was also fabulously white beaches, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, and wonderful people. It was also a peaceful religiosly heterogeneous place, with churches, mosques and temples. And to think I used to perceive India as a religiously segregated country with strifes breaking out frequently and Singapore as the only harmonious place in the world. Tsk tsk, ignorant and naive me...We had a good time reminiscing our surprisingly similar days...the delicious Good Day biscuits, the murky water served in restaurants, the jerky bus rides and the sickeningly sweet milk shakes. One thing we agreed was that we came out richer from the experience. We are less self-centred and less fixated on the short-term and academic stuff....Somehow, all the nitty-gritty things that seemed so important in the past have been put into perspective...
We adjourned to watch Brotherhood. Don't know why but I just wasn't touched by the bond between the brothers. Just felt JDG was really quite selfish and myopic in his thinking. Instead, I was more affected by how war could transform sane, normal men into killing machines, how troops are often sent to their deaths just by a mere order from their superiors and how ideology which seems so high and mighty is actually nothing more than a tool by the government.
Went to HMV and I bought Edward Scissorhands! It was at a cheaper price than the last time I saw it. So, the wait was worth it!
Glazzal: saw the DVD of Chungking Express but it's by a European company and the price is $60 plus....you'll be better off at yesasia.

altling @ 2004-07-16T22:24:00

2004-07-16T14:24:50Z

you are lightcyan
#E0FFFF

Your dominant hues are green and blue. You're smart and you know it, and want to use your power to help people and relate to others. Even though you tend to battle with yourself, you solve other people's conflicts well.

Your saturation level is very low - you have better things to do than jump headfirst into every little project. You make sure your actions are going to really accomplish something before you start because you hate wasting energy making everyone else think you're working.

Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz