CRANKY

My mobile phone has always been cranky. Even more so of late.



To be fair, the HTC I'm using currently is quite an old model, and is second-hand. The older bro ditched "donated" it to me after getting his BB.

I really like the HTC. It's easy to get a hang of, not-very-complicated, and user-friendly.



Of late, though, it has been getting a little temperamental. Not only does it lag (and terribly, at times; so much so that sms-ing is becoming a chore), it also has a tendency to switch off by itself - unprovoked.

It has occurred quite a number of times. And when it happens, without the handphone alarm, I nearly missed my morning appointments.



I'm torn between an Iphone and a BB. The odds for a BB is higher, though. Just a matter of personal preferences.


Anyway, there's so much checking out to do. I'm a total idiot airhead when it comes to gadget stuff. Which model? What are the applications? How thick and heavy is the BB set? Data plans? Blahblahblah...

Not forgetting, I've also got to ask around the family members whether is anyone's contract up for renewal.


Arggh!

TO BE BELIEVED IN

Was "spring-cleaning" the FB account when I stumbled upon this. From a lecturer back in Poly days. Taught us Molecular Biology, and Molecular Genetics.






He was referring to varsity.



I even forgot to reply!!! *gasp*



It just feels humbling to be believed in.

Especially when you yourself is - or was - the one carrying the doubts. And people still believed in you regardless. Believe on your behalf.

It makes you feel... Thankful. A sense of gratification.

IF ONLY TIME STANDS STILL

There are some things and events which always bring along with them a sense of nostalgia. No one - dead or alive - has ever been spared from its claws.

I miss the days of a student - where the primary duties were homework, grades, and exams. I miss the days in school. Those were the days when - the heavy readings, mugging, and permanent head damage aside - lectures and tutorials occasionally end early in the early afternoons.

I miss the days of having early time off. Hanging around the mall for the occasional quick window-shopping. Dropping by and lingering in bookstores. Scooting off to Giant or Carrefour in the early afternoons and heading home eagerly with bags full of groceries, in anticipation of the food that's to be prepared. I miss cooking, baking cookies, cakes, making sushi, bulgogi, and trying out new recipes. I miss experimenting new things and doing new stuffs.

There are some things and events which always bring along with them a sense of nostalgia.

These are things that make me feel belonged. Things that I would love to do. And without it, it feels like something is glaringly lacking.






I still want to sew that bean bag chair. Do my first knitting. Try out some recipes. Cook new stuffs. Experiment with new things.

I want to maintain a cozy home; a haven. Of course, not forgetting that yellow study room.

Out of the 3 square meals per day, I would want to personally prepare at least 1 for my loved ones. I would like The Hubby to look forward eagerly to coming home to a good meal and a fruitful rest; after having battled it out gallantly a whole day at work.

I would want to be there when my kids open their eyes and catch their first glimpse of the world. Hear their first giggle. Take their first step. Hum the first song. Babble their first 'word'. Sprout their first tooth.

I want to be there. Beside them; with them.



In the early afternoons, we would take little strolls, or go to the supermarket, or play by the beaches, or just simply lie idyllically under the bask of the sun. The little ones would lumber about in zealous exploration. Build clumsy sandcastles. Taste some alien-looking algae and seaweed. Roll about in the grass. Chase birds. Catch butterflies. Feed some strays. Pat some dogs. Tease some cats. Poke some caterpillars. Collect leaves. Squeeze beetles. Squash chameleons. Flick spiders. Stack up snails.

They'll actively zoom around like busy worker bees - gushing and yakking excitedly about some weird bugs or creepy-crawlies which they've just discovered. Or asking frustrating questions like "why is the sky blue?", "where does Santa Claus live?", "how can a fat guy like Santa squeeze through the chimney?", "why don't we have a chimney?", "why can't chicken fly?", "why can't I have ice-cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?", or "what time is Daddy coming home?".

On other afternoons - if we are in the mood for indoor activities - we'll roll some dough together, bake some cookies, and make little messes in the kitchen. Or pop some M&Ms. Listen to some old English oldies or English country music. Play with bubbles. Grow our own mini-ecosystem in a 1 litre plastic bottle. Do some art and craft. Pot some plants. Play around with colours. Eat popcorn and watch silly programmes like Twitty Bird or Bob the builder.

In the evening, the little ones would be all exhausted that they'll sleep so deeply while I prepare dinner. The Hubby comes home. He showers, while I warm up the food. The kids wake up. We would eat, talk, play, bond, and then, retire for the night. The next morning, another new, exciting adventure unravels yet again.



I want this kind of life. This is what I see; and vision for.

YES OR NO

It was morning, and in front of me is a list of questions for an English composition.

I can't really recall or regurgitate the exact questions per se, but they sound along the line of:
"Recount an experience with someone who terrifies you so much that you tremble at the sight of him/her",
"Orientations in schools are usually a good opportunity to make new friends and make memories. Write about your own experiences, and to what extent do you agree with the above statement" and such.



I don't know about you, but at that instant, I felt stifled. The questions are quite a bore, and are definitely quite restrictive - in my personal opinion. For one, I don't think there is any person (yet) whom I'm sooo terrified of that I tremble at the sight of said person. Neither do I enjoy orientations of any sort (at least, not when I'm on the receiving end).

Frowning at the newly-discovered realization of this aversion for restrictive questions, I pondered briefly for the reason behind it. Just then, an old and forgotten memory came washing back like a good old friend. A sense of deja vu.



**************



It was in a mock English oral. We were preparing for the real English oral for O Levels. I was 15, or 16. Having completed "reading the passage" component, Mr. Teacher and I were in the midst of our "oral conversation".

The contents leading up to such are murky in my memories, but somehow, Mr. Teacher asked conversationally whether do I take to sports. I replied no, and that I'm not really athletic. He then asked, "Oh, then do you like to exercise? Do you, say, enjoy swimming?" I replied back swiftly, "No. I can't swim." Mr. Teacher pressed on further, "Why not?". I couldn't really think of a reason, and thus made up a lame one on the spot, "Because, of, errmmm... Fear of the unknown?" Believe me, I sounded like a total wimp.



Pretty soon after that, the oral ended. As feedback, Mr. Teacher commented that it's NOT GOOD to be too honest - because apparently, in a manner of speaking, my grades are inversely proportional to the number of times I reply "no" to questions. Even if you can't swim, Mr. Teacher continued, pretend that you can. Say yes, don't say no. That was his advice in short; the gist of the underlying message he was trying to get across.



Even till this day, I staunchly refuse to accept or concur with his ground of argument. For one, by telling a younger charge "not to be honest", what morals and principles is he indirectly and inadvertently imparting?

Secondly, I don't see the point in having a conversation in the first place if all it's going to amount to is a pack of lies.

Thirdly, you're the teacher, and I, (was) the student. If the conversation halts, it's your prerogative to either dig further, or to come in from another angle to keep the conversation going. It's not my duty to "lie" - or cook up some stories - just to make up for a person's lack of competency.

Not forgetting, this is Oral. My role here is to speak English, use English, converse in English, and answer questions in English; and NOT to weave up imaginary stories. I don't see the sense in taking up the additional burden of story-weaving. I'm not here to weave stories or to conjure up a supposedly double-life. As if undergoing an Oral examination is not stressful enough?!

Let us wind back the story and imagine the other possible scenario.



Mr. Teacher: "Oh, then do you like to exercise? Such as, swimming?"

15yo Me: "Why, yes. I like to swim. I would go swimming at least once per week (right. *eyes-rolling*)."

MT: "Who do you go swimming with?"

M: "I'll usually go with my parents." (pause to think) "We'll go to the nearby swimming complex on Saturdays."

MT: "When did you first learn to swim?"

M: "When I was in... Primary 3." (think think think weave weave weave) "Ahh... I had a private coach."

MT: "What do you like about swimming?"

M: (still weaving) "Hmmm..." (think think think) "I guess, it's the feeling of freedom and being carefree?" (think somemore) "And.. Ahh... You know, the sound of... Ahhhh... Water... Emmm... Gushing by your ears... Ahhhh... (by now undergoing a considerable amount of stress) Like a bird flying freely; ahhh... Except that... Emmm... you're in the waters? Like, you know... Flying... Underwater?"



You get what I mean? Do you see the stress?

I figured (and still do) that if I had said yes to the question, that would be the first irrevocable step into a quagmire. How is a person supposed to describe something without any personal experience with it?



I guess, from that Oral experience onwards, a general dislike for close-structured questions is planted within.



Can I swim? Really, no.

TABS!

I've not really been blogging anything substantial of late; ever since full-time work started. Ok, fine, I admit; this is just a convenient excuse.

Anyway, lately, I've been occupied with self-teaching on how to read guitar tabs. Youtube-ing and goggle-ing and all. And attempting tactics like hammer-on and pull-off and whatever.

||--------------------------------------------------------|
||--------------2h3p2----5-----5--2-----2-----2-----2-----|
||-----------2--------2--4-----4--2-----2-----2-----2-----|
||--------------------------------------------------------|
||--------0-----------------------------------------------|
||--0h2------------------4--4-----2--2-----2--0--0-----0--|

This is part of the opening introduction to Tears in Heaven. I spent quite some time figuring out how to read them, followed by trying to get myself accustomed with the unfamiliar, alien-looking tabs. Whatever little knowledge that I currently possess are all about chords (chords are for strumming). Tabs (for finger-picking) is quite a different ball game.



Managed to execute 0h2. BUT I'm stuck at 2h3p2!

YUSHENG

Reasons why yusheng is awesome:



1) It's colourful. Nice nice colours.

2) It's healthy. Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Alpha. Beta. Omega.

3) It's deliciously tasty.

4) It's a heavenly thirst-quencher. (really, no kidding!)

5) Got raw fish.

6) I'm THE RABBIT.



HAPPY "BIRTHDAY", everyone!

=)

D.I.Y.-ED

I had a little of a free time this afternoon.

Thus, time is not really an issue. I hence put it into good use; and did what most girls like to do usually.


I did full eye makeup; which I seldom put on. Eye base. Eye shadow. Eyeliner. Mascara. Fake lashes. All in all, it took quite a while. But in the end, I still had time to D.I.Y. the hair. And I did some LOOSE WAVES with a flat iron!!!



The hair looks relatively shorter than the original length now that it's been curled. AHHH!!! NOW I regret going for the haircut 3 weeks back! I chopped off 2 or 3 inches! Argghhh!




This only imply one thing. It's high time to wipe the mirror.






I had initially feared that I would look like an obasan! The other concern is that the waves might not hold - especially in the good, old, hot, humid Singapore air. Secondly, I had chose not to put on any hair products such as volumizer or hair spray. Nothing at all.

Surprisingly, though, not only did the waves hold out from 4pm all the way until 10pm plus, but it also turned out okay! In fact, I like it!

SHOWDOWN!

FINALLY!

Ju Encai has revealed her real identity to the in-laws, who would be going bankrupt following the aftermath.




So exciting!

I can't wait till the end of the whole drama!



P.S. Too bad I'll be out tomorrow night. Arrrgggh!

BE BOLD

I like yellow!












I honestly think this is really vaairrryy nice and daring; but yellow is known to be a stimulating colour. This idea doesn't seem fitting; I can't imagine needing to feel STIMULATED in a toilet. *kekeke!* Perhaps a study room is more appropriate. Yeah! This colour would be really nice for a study room.








Lavenders are awesome, too!




Credits: Some unknown; with apologies (kindly leave a message if you happen to have them!).