Quote:

milk, milk, lemonade, along the way fudge is made

This is something for you...

Was sitting beside a lady on the bus, when she suddenly whipped out a card from her handbag and handed it to me saying solemnly,"This is something for you to read about Jesus, sin, the gift of forgiveness and heaven". I find such evangelistic techniques highly disconcerting and sometimes extreme. Thank goodness she wasn't intrusive, leaving it at the 'card level' and not probing further.


The Card

The New Age Parable

Have you ever...

1. done something stupid even though you have done it before?

2. done something stupid the 2nd time even though you did not need to?

3. been on a bus squashed with tons of people who REFUSE to move to the back of the bus?

4. gotten your foot stepped 5 times by an over-zealous public spirited ang mo lecturer who attempts to get everyone to move in by moving every single inch he can, pushing everyone back in the process?

5.experienced a bus journey which took twice the usual amount of time to get to your destination?

6.taken 151 at 0820hr????

YES.YES.YES.YES.YES.YES!

Rollarcoaster Fri

I totally totally bombed. Interview SUCKED LIKE CRAZY!!!!!!! went for a interview for a trip to cambodia... and said the most bimbotic and BRAINLESS THINGs... someone hold a knife n stick it through me. Was 10 min late for a 15 min interview coz i never knew a stupid ride on the A2 bus took a bloody 15 min after a 10 min wait! Blame it on my warped judgement. *growls* then got so kancheong that by the time i entered the place for the interview i was so flustered. then the guy interviewing asked me. WHAT DO U KNOW ABT THIS PROJECT?? n my brain went DEAD. i said something like " oh we are going to that place to build a HOUSE??!!??" (stick the bloodied knofe in again!) Of all the imbecil-ic thing to say. needless to say it just went DOWN DOWN DOWN hill from there... WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE to the team was met with "oh! I'm very cheerful and optimistic... i have FAITH!that once we start something we would be able to complete it... (THROW that really drippy bloodied knife at me n aim it at my nonsense brain)

oh man i think this is the worst interview that i have EVER gone through... didn't think of my answers at all. Basically felt absolutely STUPID.

ANYWAY, whatever that is above was written on Fri after the interview...Went for another YEP interview after that, this project goes to Vietnam .so on FRI night, after watching "Durian King" and feeling thoroughly and UTTERly depressed over the day's dismal showings, I got a call at 11...

(abridged)
Speaker: "Congratulations!!! You have gotten into the YEP!"

Anne:"REALLY?*laughs in an embarrassed way* I'm sorry but which one did I get into?

Speaker:(pause)

Anne: Coz i went for two interviews, one vietnam one cambodia

Speaker: Vietnam one loh!

Anne:(in a bimbotic gush) REALLY??? (guiltily) I'm so sorry but do u think I can confirm with you if I am joining coz i have not gotten any answer from the Cambodia one yet!!

Speaker: HUH? you still want to confirm ah? You got in already you know!!!!!!

Anne: I am SOOO sorry but I joined the other one with a friend you see...

Speaker:(not too pleased) then when can u confirm with me??? The longer you wait the place wun be there. I cannot confirm you later!

Anne: I will call you tmr and confirm? THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

and THAT was how i got selected into YEP Vietnam=)))))) Needless to say, i was damn happy.Contacted the Cambodia grp and asked them to give me an answer today n THEY DID!!!! I got accepted too!!!! so needless to say, i AM damn happy now!!!!! so Qiuyi n I would be going together!!!!!!!! Isn't it absolutely exciting???? Apparently almost NO ONE shares this sentiment with me cept for Qiuyi! oh n my ever encouraging parents and bro=))

On a more sober note, I am being smothered by three group "discussion" papers which really isn't quite pleasant... Sigh... but I have on my hands a WILL & GRACE convert!!!!!! heehee am damn cheered up by that!!! DO love that show like crazy... more than SATC coz itz extremely hilarious!! Yep itz hard to get the episodes n itz awfully stereotypical but its humor makes it all worth it=)so Mon would be spent watching it with Qiuyi after her classes!!!

Reel/Real Friends

Apparently everyone has been waiting with bated breaths for this entry to materialize and they have NOT been very quiet about it either!! *bows* I thank you loyal readers for your unwavering support*beams*. Had a belated realization that there are people whom I am not acquainted with who actually read my blog!-not that I am complaining here ok, but to me this comes as a surprise as I don't see my blog as vastly interesting or scandalous-which are about the only 2 reasons why I would read a stranger's blog. Blogs of friends are different though, I HAVE to read their blogs. It's not so much an obligation than the need to know what's going on in their lives and how they are feeling. As the girls found out in Thailand, I have an insatiable need to KNOW what they are talking about eventhough I was not in the conversation. Yes. I now get teased mercilessly for being a big "kaypoh" added to the "auntie" tag... the future seems rather bleak and nebulous.

I don't understand why the hell someone would blogsurf although many friends I know do this and later send me links to clue the clueless me in. Am I devoid of curiousity? or is it just that I can't be bothered? ok rhetorical question here. I just can't be bothered. I mean after reading 9 blogs in a row, there isn't much curiousity left in me to find out what strangers do right? (UNLESS its scandalous!) I'm a big sucker for scandal just as long as it does not involve me. It's not a pretty picture that I paint of myself here, I wish I could say that I am angelic, highly humorous, in possession of razor wit and intelligence, confident and a good friend to everyone... but that would simply be wistful dreaming. On the other hand, I would like to decline the title of gossip goddess as there are simply too many other people who are much much much much (X infinity) more worthy to assume such a title. I just enjoy the occassional scandal-doesn't anyone?

Ok back to the title of the day REEL/REAL friends. This was inspired by QQ who wrote abt SATC n what i term as 'THE INCIDENT' (on Fri the 13th, no less!). It was on that day that I discovered more disturbing flaws in myself, when I really looked at how I was as a friend, as a person. I read about QQ's perspective of it and her own reflections on it and HAD a reply to her queries. Alas, reality stepped in and I have loads of other things to do and it got delayed. What is written here subsequently will just be the watered down version of how I felt, for when one has to look back, the emotions and thoughts will never be the same.

Basically, I forgot what I wanted to write that day. I just want give my 2 cents worth abt how i felt about hose questions.

I came to the realization that no one really cares about maintaining friendships anymore. All that talk and no action - are we all breaking the Friendship Code in our own way?

I don't feel that we are abandoning our old friendships for greener pastures and i am really unconvinced that no one cares about maintaining friendships. Sure, the friendship code is broken, violated from time to time. However we are only human! People make mistakes. The violation of the friendship code should not be an indication of the lack of maintanace.

The only problem is whether you are conscious about the violation in time to come and whether you consciously violate it.How one feels after matters also, that, and what the Friendship code is made out of in the first place.

Perhaps 'talk' is the key to maintaining friendships. To me, maintaining a friendship means checking in with friends from time to time, this does not mean I call them everyday or even every week coz face it, everyone has a lot to do. The intention of Fri- Gals' nite out, has gone into the rubbish bin. 2 weeks has passed with no meetings planned. Fri this week was date-nite. I'm not complaining neither I am I affected by the demise of it coz regular meetings have never been a forte for this grp. But as Yun pointed out, the day does not matter so much as the concept of meeting to stay in touch with each other's life. So, basically we better touch base soon ya? the NUS gals are going for pilates tmr together although NTU gals are feeling isolated... I think that is QQ coz LT is still N-cotting me...*waves* she saved me this morning by providing me with what to write in my application form. oh! that means I am no longer N-cotted?!? we digress...

I just love all my friends so much, friends in my'main'grp, friends like Lynn, Gwen, Siying, Daphy etc. And I count myself really very fortunate to have such great friendships. I have to admit that I don't give a fair share of my time to other friends coz the lion's share goes to my grp of 8 and I feel really guilty about it when they call me out. Just ask Lynn who always has the task of organising get togethers and always has to tweak the day to suit me. I promise to change.

Are Carrie and her friends simply a myth for us women? Is it so hard to meet up for Saturday breakfasts? We are simply just taking each other for granted, some more than others

Firstly, I LOVVVE THAT SHOW!!!! Carrie and friends are the epitomy of what girlfriends are supposed to be. No matter how inappropriate they sound, whatever they say seems right for the moment. They speak from the heart. They touch base with each other regularly. They wear fantastic clothes(rather Carrie does). They live in NY. Most importantly, they are there for each other whether there is a crisis or not. BUT I never knew they met on Saturday morning for breakfast?!? Yes breakfast. but no one said it was every sat. Carrie and Co. are the amalgamation of all types of friendships rolled into one. Time does not factor in the show, which features them meeting for breakfast, brunch, drinks,walks in the parks...moments cut out from real life and pasted together in succession.

So is it a myth? An idealistic and impractical show? personally, I don't think so. Yes i think it would be damn difficult to meet every Sat morning for breakfast coz we all need our sleep and many would be late. However, meeting up frequently should not be a problem for any group of friends. Of coz how 'frequently' is defined differs from person to person. Whatever thatz on tv gets its inspiration from reality, although it's airbrushed and has a dream/wish/ element to it. Thus I totally believe that it is possible to be like them in essence cept that TIME inevitably has to factor into the equation.

I get tired writing so much... and bored. btw Lynn who was that girl who asked you abt ur blog? Haha I am curious abt who reads my blog. Hope u feeling better from ur flu and from this sec. on, U would not be linked to my blog=) and I've finished reading my last trashy book. Really trashy in terms of names... protagonist called "sugarbeth".

To all my friends out there, love u all like crazy... u all are precious beings. Extrordinary too, coz u can handle my forgetfulness and extremely 'cold'quips. BTW my tagboard is NOT DEAD ok!!!!!! If you are my friend you would know what to do right???? oh and if u are my friend, one whom I am unaware reads my blog, leave me a msg ok?

Next entry... Real Friends/Reel Friends.

Angry!!!

The fireworks are going off above me... I hear the thunderous burst of each and every one of them and I wished that I was watching it. I never thought I would feel so utterly disappointed at missing this display because before this year, fireworks never did hold any significance to me. I Was supposed to watch it with Mom tonight but she decided not to watch yesterday and took the opportunity during dinner to really get on my case on studying and not slacking. This is the ONE IMPT reason why I HATE TO TELL HER ABT MY life, my plans, my dreams. She turns it against me at the most inopportune times and twists the facts to suit whatever she wants to say.

This time it was the SEP...oh if I want to go, why am I not working towards it? Y aren't I doing anything? Y am i always going out with the same people? I should do this this and that as if she just thought of it and was giving me fantastic advice when in fact they are things I already plan to do n TOLD HER THAT I planned to do. Totally pissed me off. So basically, I'm psychologically grounded for the next few days coz what i detest and hate above all are her loud somewhat useless and repetitive lectures. Have to 'lay low' for some time I guess...

Now that I've started ranting... let me get on to my PHONE BILL.
I feel as if the frickin telecom companies in Thailand and Batam have cheated me of loads and loads of money. Everytime I try and call someone, it does not go through and yet I am charged bloody $1.25 for every attempt. I had a total of 18 attempts!!!!!!!! Phone companies are CHEATS. CHEATS!

Anne-cotted

I've been Annecotted coz I've violated the friendship code. What did I do?? Of coz smth terrible...

Morning
Liting msg me asking whether Yun n I wanted to have dinner together with her ard Clementi. Since Yun wasn't in sch, I decided to call her first before replying and since I was in lect I couldn't call (I FORGOT abt sms ING HER)... and after lect, i CLEANLY AND COMPLETELY FORGOT ABT LITING'S MSG...

AFTERNOON
IMPROMPTU decision to go blading with YUN n Kuanlin... while i STILL FORGOT ABT THE DINNER MSG... called Yun abt ECP and all and STILL FORGOT ABT THE DINNER PLANS...

EVENING
Finished Kayaking (yes blading became kayaking) and Yun got a phone call frm liting who asked her where the hell we were? She was worried. She couldn't contact me at all which is very rare... I always return calls and msg... Yun passed the phone to me... n i talked to Liting n that was when i REMEMBERED ABT THE DINNER MSG... sounded a mite too boisterous and cheerful I guess when i apologised (STUPID anne...) n that totally pissed her off coz that was like 5.30 and she had been calling me since 3.30... SO i was given the "GO n DIE" treatment... she msg to tell me how upset she was n refused to take any calls from me... called her at 9.30 and apologised again n she said..." itz ok" "itz ok" in a dull voice which translates to ITZ NOT OK!!!!!!!!

So according to QQ who called me this morning I've been Annecotted for 2 weeks... Liting sounds frustrated, exasperated, angry to her. Did I mentioned she also called other people to find out where Yun n I were?

I feel extremely terrible about what happened yesterday as I've told Yun, Kuanlin, Qiuyi n WQ... I am very sorry!!!!! I've said that QUITE a few times... I know I shouldn't have done it... but I really am absent minded as some of U might know... itz not an excuse... but an explanation... I know i Dun seem to sound sorry to a few of u... but trust me I've thought abt it amg other things for quite some time after the incident... am I blowing it out of proportion?? I doubt so coz it links fundamentally to how I am as a friend... I honestly feel terrible abt it if not I would not be STILL harping about it... am I writing it here to convince other pple that I feel terrible as it seems to when I re-read what I have just written? Nah... I think I am harping on it coz I can't get over the fact that I messed up... guilt I guess... basically I just want to be a good friend... but good friends don't do what I did... I actually forgot even when I managed to call Yun abt Kayaking!! Don't ask me HOW i dunno!! I just did!? ... so yes... I'm been Anne-cotted.

P.S. Just for the record... I'm not an advocate for "fri is girls' night out" I'm an advocate for "EVERY OTHER fri is girls' night out"

First day

I have managed to pass the first day at sch... sheer relief!!! All things bad did not start till the end of day... Started school well enough, met Lynn on the bus followed by Iris. Along the way to our social variation in EL class, met Xuelun... Saw more familiar faces in the lecture like Junie, other people I didn't know but recognised... felt happy to be back. Met Qiuyi and Liyi for lunch and caught Dot on her way out after lunch... Went to the library to watch "Enter the Phoenix"(Which is a damn hiliarious lamo show) and met Yun and Kuanlin for a 2nd lunch @4.

I was safe within my little protected world, surrounded and sheltered from the intrusion of the real world by friends and familiar strangers. Went to the Sci Fac with Yun who bought her computing book at that Co-op and she kept me company till my lecture was about to start. Then it all began to go WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Entered the silent lecture with only 4 other pple sitting inside. Felt compelled to ask "IS this the TR2202 Lecture?" so far so good. I still felt a sense of equilibrium. As time crept nearer and nearer to 6, the people streamed in... and i realised...

There are many odd looking people in this world. Yes. odd. I don't believe it!! anyway, i didn't want to do my project with anyone sitting near me... so i was damn relieved when we had to change lect theatre. I thought i chose well when I found my new seat... now i'm not that sure... I guess I was too anxious to find a grp that i simply looked up and grabbed the first couple that came into my view as part of my group. Ask me in person abt why I was so anxious.

Anyway, Arts undergrads are in real hot demand in this mod coz itz made up of ENGINE STUDENTS!!!!!!! oh man...... there are like 20 girls amongst 120+ pple... and the no of arts students can be counted on both hands. Y in hot dd? coz the lecturer wanted a 'mix' of students instead of a FULL fledge engine grp. So basically everyone was grabbing arts n sci pple for grp members. BUT as i had already chosen a grp in my haste... I had no part in all the action.

My group's not all that bad though. An interesting mix of people although I don't seem to click with anyone. I guess everyone is still on the polite phase... I am too impatient. I just want to get past it. 3 guys 2 girls. Guys are all of different nationalities. Yup, so now there is a Frenchman, Chinaman and S'porean man in the grp. All from engine. Sad thing though, NONE are good lookers. Haha, win some lose some. The other girl's from real estate. Discussion was very very messy and aimless.It's also hindered by language barriers...YES we all spoke EL... but French EL and China EL and S'porean EL express similar ideas differently. I am a little worried about our future project though Chinaman is very enthusiastic and efficient. OUr Yahoo group is already set up??!??

Ok sounds not too bad right?? Basically it was bad coz I felt so ALONE, no arts pple ard, no GIRLS ard, NO ONE familiar, even the LT and the Faculty was different. Moreoever the topic discussed was unfamiliar and I felt the extent of my ignorance. WHAT IS AN IPO? HOW DOES IT WORK? why is it that everyone knows what is happening???
i was wayyyyy out of my comfort zone man... hid behind my phone n smsed Yun who was on her way home... did I irritate u?? thanks for replying to my repetitive "OH NO!"s

This module's really going to be a challenge for me coz the 3 hours are conducted seminar style with 120 pple in the room where one has to speak up to earn class participation pts. sucks la. THIS SUCKS!

Oh man this is going to be crappy. *think positive thoughts* ... mabbe tmr.

Breathless beauty

Pictures, videos do not do justice to the sheer beauty of fireworks. One does not understand why the hell thousands of S'poreans spend their entire day at the riverside ard the Esplanade just to get a good place to view the fireworks display till one has been there and has experienced it.

The significance of fireworks, I believe, is personal and varies from person to person. However, for me the joy lies in the beauty of its choreography, the timely bursts that fill the sky with a kaleidoscope of colours falling gracefully down- a shower of hope where light, positivity reigns. Inevitably, these gentle flares of hope fade into the darkness,just like hope. Which either has to become reality or die. With faded hope comes new ones, rising quickly above the ashes that mar its initial purity. Smoke, ash, new fireworks- all become integral to its beauty.

What does it mean to you??
( For Photos click here)

Msg at 1415hr...

Sat. Went for tuition at 9.30 and had the first nice surprise of the day!!! Student (Gabriel) came in 2nd in class for his lit test!!!!! Stunned the headache I was laden with, out of me and left me inspired to conquer the 20 pages of HW his lit teacher unloaded on him... teachers... such slave drivers... hahaha... of coz la didn't finish it but had a good time teaching=))

Had porridge for lunch and decided to check out the AMK library which I had not entered for years. The last time I walked there from AMK central was in P6 while i was still pinafore clad. Not surprisingly(esp for those who know o my undeveloped sense of direction) I got lost at the last leg and turned towards the mosque (right) instead of left. Had to stop and ask for directions which irked me.

AMK library is a beauty and I only explored level one... it has 5-6 macs for their OPAC n lovely armchairs along with a healthy collection of trashy books=) Borrowed my last load of books before term starts and was dreaming of a wonderful day ahead, lazing at home, eating frozen yoghurt and reading book after book... ALAS...

THE MSG CAME AT 1415hr...*beepbeep beepbeep*

(abridged ver.)
4700?23?82?8 (ie Yun) : blading cycling fishing??

Anne(thoughtbubble) : FISHING? no equipment?!?
oh no... no more reading...
BE LAZY STAY AT HOME
Once i reach there i wun regret going
Be LAZY!!! STAY AT HOME!!!


Anne (in the msg) : FISHING no equipment!!
earliest I can reach is four


So i reached ECP at four and stayed there till abt 7 ...Bladed to and fro with Yun n Kuanlin... Saw many many gorgeous dogs that Yun wanted to pet. The dogs that are walked at ECP are gorgeous animals, there really for show... their fur glimmers from the essential 100 strokes a day, hair dryer dried, type of care which I can't even afford myself! From beautiful golden retrievers, labradors to silky terriers and the occasional chihuahuas, they possess the mark of health and WEALTH. No one walks mongrels at ECP... itz just NOT DONE! Maybe the other dogs wld give it the cut... hold their heads high and sniff snobbishly at it... poor mongrel... what this would do to its self esteem!!!!

Anyway... we bladed... looked at fish... talked... took photos...had dinner at Tiong Bahru which was a very fitting finale to the day=)

Had a good time n I didn't regret it- just as I predicted=)

P.S. Photos can be viewed at Yun's Blog.

Please Click on Comic Strip =)

My Kind of Humor!! 

Private Parts-Code name:Disappointment 

Caught "Private Parts" yesterday.

Was SORELY disappointed with the show which turned out to be really draggy at parts- At the beginning, in the middle, at the end. THe scene changes were choppy, the actors were not as good as they could be, some overacted(esp the supporting actors) while others misacted... like the actress who played Edward, a girl who undergoes sex change. Her attempt for masculinity seen in her lowered voice and having one arm ALWAYS bent at her waist failed MISERABLY. Like WQ so aptly quipped "she's acting like a cancer patient!"

SOme of the characters were redundent, eg Azman, the male nurse at the sex change clinic. HE does not serve any purpose at all cept to reveal to the audience that Warren Lee (the lead) does not have a room in the hospital which specialises in the reconstruction of well, private parts.Thus his continual apppearance in the show simply irritates the hell out of me coz he attempts to portray a pretentious shallow sissy who gushes endlessly " oh!!! lovvvvee this dress!!! Club 21!!!" or "ohhhh!!!! so preeety!!! Armani??" yes yes... comic relief... but very out of place.

THe story runs along albeit at a slooooow pace, taking too much time with social commentary and forgetting ACTION! Most of the time, the actors are sitting down talking. The only change is the stage position which marks a different location/scene.

THe actors in the role of Mirabella and Lavinia -transsexuals, were entertaining maybe because their roles were naturally jucier and their flamboyant characters allowed for funnier lines and over the top acting.

SOmetimes I wonder if its because mediacorp has such a big role in organising and reviving the show that it has become so flat and limp.

Perhaps my disappointment has been magnified because even though I have not been to many plays, I've been fortunate so far to have watched entertaining, well-scripted ones which DO NOT meander slowly along eg. Emily on Emerald Hill, Animal Farm, Invitation to treat.

I am also very disappointed because this is the second such outing with the girls ever(the first being years ago when we watched Miss Saigon), and the show proved to be just as disappointing as Miss Saigon which put someone(I forgot who) to sleep.