brackets

Today was the last day of classes of this semester (Fall 2006). I’m kinda wondering where the hell two months went.

The four-hour lecture felt like it was going on forever at times, but flew by at others. I tried to pull a Hannah (but not sleep sleep), but as comfortable as the place is for lectures, getting into a suitable nap position is downright impossible for me. During the lecture, Hannah (the only one who was hungry) kept waving our nasi lemak (which we decided to go buy after walking into class and finding out it hadn’t begun) packets at us, hoping to convince us that we were hungry too so that we’d eat with her. Didn’t work though. We had it during a break, after which Lavan and I moseyed (I can’t believe that’s an actual word!!!) over to Maxis cuz I desperately needed caffeine (I can’t believe I just…typed that…) after the late, late night/early, early morning.

I was all set on my lil can of Nescafé (coffee in small doses, I can tolerate. Blech.), but when we walked past San Fran I just stopped and stared at the poster for their Christmas specials (you know what that means...Christmas is here-ish!!) – white chocolatey goodness. I figured that if I didn’t get one then, I wouldn’t have it ever, so I got me a white chocolate latté. V says it was excellent, and you should definitely take her word for it, not mine. For me, it was okay (after two sugars), but not hot enough, I think. And it didn’t really taste like white chocolate. Bloody thing cost almost ten ringgit…for a small!! That’s like nine Nescafés!! But San Fran was all Christmassy like :)

So later, the bunch of us piled into V’s car and went to Burger King in Hartamas (anything but KFC) for a little celebratory lunch. We eventually ended up in the below-mentioned lecturer’s office again, this time with the boys in tow. I’m beginning to see it as a confessional booth place thing, rather than an office, really :) But good times.

Seeing as how I can barely keep my eyes open. I can’t even finish that sentence. I could've sworn I had more to write.

clock-stopping and portable defibrilators

Getting back into Hannah's car after class today, I thought to myself - didn't i JUST get out? Two whole hours went by so quickly! And there was lunch (not for me, tho'...) too! Not that I'm complaining or anything, but hello! It's almost December. December!! Then the year will be over, and a WHOLE new one, which I'm not really looking forward to for reasons that will not be discussed at this point, will begin. STOP THE CLOCKS! or at least slow them down a little!

Class went by really quickly. They were having some Career Fair thing in the lounge area. GE, Shell, KPMG, Ernst & Young...all these big names were there. I kept thinking to myself that it was a really good opportunity to. You know. Whatever. But I also kept thinking to myself that I had absolutely no reason to go talk to these people. It's not like I actually know what I want to do when I graduate, except to wander around the world for a bit. But I couldn't exactly tell these people that, could I? So we filled in this Shell thingy, just for fun. I still wish I had something to say to them, or something to ask them.

When I got home, my brother and I decided to go watch Casino Royale. It was totally spontaneous, spurred by the fact that there was absolutely nothing on tv, and I kinda wanted to chill after finishing my last report/assignment thingy for the semester. So we bought tickets online, and went to watch it, even though I said I didn't want to the other day.

On the way to GSC, we stopped at Rock Corner, and they were playing Lyla =D If you don't already know, I recently developed a thing for Oasis, all thanks to Durvesh. He totally converted me. If you, the person who is reading this, have the power to make them come and perform here, please do so and I will be eternally grateful. If you could also convince Robbie Williams that we have running water here in Asia, you would also have my eternal gratitude (cheeky bugger was supposed to perform in Singapore and I got all excited then he cancels due to "exhaustion and dehydration").

Anyway. Oasis. With some help, I managed to locate Stop the Clocks. It was right in front of me! If you don't already know, you can listen to the entire album all thanks to MSN's Listening Party thing here which I totally did, but I think I might still want the album. I have a bunch of songs from it already, and I could just get the rest...it makes sense, cuz I don't actually use my Discman (anyone wanna buy it?) anymore now that I have Mikey, my Creative Zen Micro MP3 player. But I'm hesitating. I don't know why either. But for now, it's going on my Christmas list =D

Casino Royale was interesting. If you don't already know, I haven't ever watched a Bond movie, so I did find the action bits quite cool. The guy in the beginning looked so animal-like! And the cars! And the pocket-sized defibrilator (I don't know how to spell that)!! And at the very end, the scene with some Mr. White, the house by the lake with the mountains...that was SO Switzerland-esque and gorgeous that it made me all sad inside for a little bit. I kept staring at the house and the lake and the mountains and completely missed what was going on, just that he was shot or something.

After the movie, I went straight for tuition (me being the tutor, not the other way around) then straight for dinner, then straight to the tv for Amazing Race (they went to Morocco dammit!) and House and now I'm in bed. I'm probably going to skip my four-hour class tomorrow. It's completely scary that our finals are next week, but I don't honestly think I'm going to study.

Song for today - I actually didn't listen to any music while writing this, which is really, really odd. So I'm going to go with the song that's in the beginning credits (are they really called beginning credits?) from Casino Royale, although I don't reaaally like it (it's not bad), which is You Know My Name by Chris Cornell, who is the lead singer for Audioslave.

sleep deprivation and altered perceptions

So I didn't get any work done yesterday. But in my defense, I had a presentation today. It was good, I think. Even though all I had to talk about was our intellectual strengths…a bit of a challenge to do without sounding yourself up, but ohh well.

I had an interesting chat with a friend last night. Thought-provoking. She said something that made me look at things so differently, and that helped HEAPS. I also talked to another friend who’s not doing too well, and another for all of five minutes, which made me wish I was nocturnal so I could have stayed up longer to talk to her. And I played Diner Dash. It's addictive.

There are things happening that I should feel more about, but I don’t. I don’t know if it’s the sleep-deprivation, but I just don’t want to think about anything. It’s like I’m putting it all away into a little folder to deal with later, or something. Which probably, isn’t the best of ideas because I do know I care and it’s just confusing and things…

But whatever. I have a weekend of report-writing to look forward to *jumps up and down excitedly*


Song for today – Set the Fire to the Third Bar by Snow Patrol. I didn’t really like the song when I first listened to it. But the second time I did, I didn’t stop. You can SO hear the desire and utter yearning in their voices.

And miles from where you are, I lay down on the cold ground
I pray that something picks me up, and sets me down in your warm arms.

On second thoughts, Wonderwall by Oasis.

There are many things that I would like to say to you but I don’t know how.

it's been a while...

it has been a pretty uneventful day, being a thursday (my day off). i got out of bed at eleven, and kept switching between miami ink (i love.) and the american music awards, waiting for snow patrol to show up. they performed 'chasing cars', and you sure as hell don't need me to tell you it was amazing. i can't imagine what it would be like to see that live. i might faint from all the emotion, i think. a friend of mine has watched them live. and another one is going to soon. why does no one come here?? japan is on their list, why the hell not KL? or even Singapore??

i was supposed to get started on yet another report, but that hasn't really happened yet. i know, i know. but ye of little faith, it's only 7ish. i might still do it. i promise i'll try. i'm not turning into a serial start-at-the-last-minute type person.

yesterday. yesterday was something. i had an early, early, four-hour long class, followed by a two hour break, which wasn't really a two hour break since we went for this talk thingy about the psychology of homicide. there were some rather morbid pictures, but other than that it was kinda blah. then, we ended up going down to the offices cuz a friend had to see a lecturer. which is where we remained for the next two hours or so. we had completely intended to go for the two hour class that afternoon, our stuff was in the auditorium and everything. but we ended up in the office of another lecturer, and we started talking, and talking, and talking. we talked about all sorts of things. things that wouldn't ever make a "things you talk about with your lecturer" list. it was kinda surreal, but in the coolest way possible. who'd have thought?

i also watched Accepted last night with my brother. it was a good movie, the kind where you laugh out loud and leave with a smile on your face. it was a good break, even though i got a pretty random sms during it. someone thought i was with someone else cuz the someone else was also at the movies. what are the odds of that happening.

song(s) for today - i'm torn between boston by augustana (which i just listened to) and it's been a while by staind (which isn't new. i've liked this song for a long time, but i just got it last night from j). i think i'm going with staind. the raw emotion is appealing right now. yeah, i'm definitely a sucker for depressing music.

-

and it's been a while since i've seen the way the candles light your face.

and it's been a while, but i can still remember just the way you taste.

morbid blisters

So the rather morbid literature review has been handed in, and the adolescent needs or wants or interests or whatever presentation is over. Now I have just a little time to breathe before having to get right back to work again. I’m in class now (ZzzzZzzz), and my feet are totally killing me. I have blisters on my blisters, I swear. My pretty shoes are definitely not meant for walking – I learnt this the hard way. 4 p.m. seems like forever away…

I’d cheat destiny just to be near you…

Do you think it’s possible to cheat destiny? Or more importantly, do you even believe in destiny? That your entire life was mapped out for you, right from the moment you were born. That everything you do, feel, think…it was all predetermined, and you are now merely living out this master plan for your existence?

I don’t think I’ve ever questioned destiny. You know how sometimes people say that whatever happened was due to fate? Seems a bit like an excuse. There’s got to be more to life than that, right?

Oh, but wait...I just remembered that one of my earlier posts was about the Three Fates of Greek mythology. So maybe I do believe in fate? But that sounds so unlike me…

All I know is if I don’t get moving with my literature review, I’ll be screwed, destiny or no destiny.


Song for today – Wreck of the Day by Anna Nalick. That’s where the title of this post is from.

tomato men and laughs

So I just got back from dinner, and I’m waiting for my mother to get off the phone so I can get on the net. Cuz the downstairs phone doesn’t like Streamyx or something, I don’t really know. I feel a leetle bit sick, cuz all my cousin and my brother and I were doing throughout dinner and all the way home was laughing. I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed so much. Apparently, I was as red as the contents of the ketchup bottle on our table. And I honestly have no idea what was funny enough to elicit the oh-my-god-I-can’t-breathe-my-belly-hurts-so-bad kind of laughing. We even made a little man with the salad they served club sandwiches with, which for the record I know is really bad, but sometimes you just gotta have some fun, right? His face was a slice of tomato, he had an onion sliver unibrow, parsley for eyes, a bit of a French fry for a nose, and another onion bit for a mouth. Then, we got creative and gave him a body, arms, legs and shoes. Just for kicks, he got a flag and a bunch of parsley. The look the waiter gave us when he cleared the table was quite priceless ;) I just wish I had a camera for the tomato man.

So I’m off to polish my halo, it got a bit scuffed I’d say...But two posts in one day? I’m impressed…if only I didn’t feel quite as sick lol *turns green*


Song for right now – Hot Girls by INXS. Totally fits my mood. Okay that sounds a bit wrong, but I mean the song, not the girls!

back where i was.

Bless me, (insert appropriate heavenly figure here), for I have (insert appropriate verb here…come now, not blogging isn’t exactly a sin is it…). It has been 599 days since my last…confession. These are essentially confessions, aren’t they?

599 days is 51, 753, 600 seconds. 862, 560 minutes. 14, 376 hours.

Don’t you just love the internet? Or media, for that matter. I have never been to confession, yet I know exactly what to say. I might even argue that I have had no reason to go to confession, but we both know that’s not true, even though I point out my shiny halo on an almost daily basis.

But honestly, the fact that this hiatus of sorts occurred doesn’t really surprise me. It was quite inevitable. 599 days does seem like a lot, though. The point is, I’m back. And I’m thinking I might keep this up. We’ll see how that goes.

A lot has happened in the 599 days since I’ve been here, and when I actually have the time, I’ll go through whatever I remember. That seems important. I remember checking to see if this thing still existed a couple of months ago, and I glanced at one of the posts, and I just went, “ouch”. It’s weird reading about how you felt about something (or someone) aaaages ago, almost like it all happened to a different person or something. Notice how that always happens? You think what’s happening to you today is the hugest thing that could ever happen, and that nothing could ever top it. Next month, you won’t even remember what the big deal was.

The recap isn’t happening now, though. But what is happening now is this – I love my friends. I seriously do.


Song for today – Back Where I Was by The Hereafter (nothing to do with the title of this post, that just happened...).This song was on the train wreck episode of Season 2 of Grey’s Anatomy. I’d describe the scene (cuz it’s perfect) but I know how I hate to have the good stuff spoilt for me, so I won’t. Go watch it for yourself :)

of easter weekend, relatives, the fact that i can now touch my toes YAAY, insomnia and horny cats...

i had a pretty interesting weekend, i'd say.

i can barely keep my eyes open, but it was interesting.

it all started on friday night, when uncle joe calls from amsterdam and says their plane had issues and wasn't able to take off. they were supposed to meet sunita in the airport, as her flight was supposed to arrive half an hour later than theirs, but they actually didnt get here till almost twenty-four hours later.

so anyway.

on saturday morning after sleeping late, i was woken up by an alarm i didnt set and horny cats. i get up to turn it off, leave the light on in the process, and crawl back into bed thinking my mum was gonna turn it off. a couple of minutes later, i realize that she isnt, and i have to get up again. the cats were wailing, and annoying the hell out of the dogs. i tell myself violence isn't really my kinda thing, and i try to make peace with the situation.

i give up and go to mum's room.

there, the birds are at it.

when you wake up to birds chirping, it's really pretty and beautiful and all that jazz...but when all you wanna do is get back to sleep, it's about the most annoying thing in the world. i then start sneezing cuz mum's room smells of lavender, which my nose evidently doesn't like very much.

i get up and make my way back to my room. the cats are stil at it, and after a while, i get up again.

this time, i walk downstairs, and stand in my kitchen, staring at the locked back-door and wondering what the hell i'm gonna do to shut the cats up.

my mind goes blank, and i walk back up the stairs. i stand in the hall.

on my left i hear the blasted birds who are dead set on waking up the entire world.

on my right i hear the blasted cats who are dead set on keeping the entire world up.

eventually, i settle for my room and fall asleep again.

i wake up and have breakfast with my jet-lagged cousin, whose sleepiness rubs off on me.

later after yoga, i made a discovery.

I CAN TOUCH MY TOES!!!

yes, this is a big deal, cuz before, i couldn't without bending my knees, and this really annoyed me. i was so happy, i could've told the whole world, really. =D

saturday night i watched a fabulous (i don't know how this is spelt and can't be bothered to look it up) episode of QE, gave up trying to read Queen of the Damned (i'll just get the movie), i listened to music, and still sleep eluded me for ages.

sunday i woke up to find another cousin sprawled on my couch with two pillows over his head - quite amusing, really =) , luggage all over my hall, an aunt fast asleep, and my fridge + freezer completely stuffed with everything from cheese to giant easter eggs to rösti to giant legs of lamb. sunday was easter, and we had lunch / a birthday party, then later the bunch of them left for china.

tomorrow is the simple plan concert YAAY i can't wait!!

i need to sleep now *yawns*


song for today - beauty under fire by natalie imbruglia. this song is amazing, and it's got a beautiful video too. i
haven't listened to it for ages and did today thank heaps priya =D

book for today - i just started reading 'love struck' by melanie la'brooy and seriously, it's making me laugh like
nobody's business!! i love it, and i've barely begun!

why i think the fates are against me...

so anyway.

i've been looking for a pair of sandals for a while. i needed to chuck my esarli heels, even though i love them...okay, more like i love the fact i got them for 20 bucks!! what a steal!!!

so anyway.

the other day i spent hours in one utama looking for shoes. found nothing. the one pair i slightly considered wearing - surprise of surprises, they didn't have my size.

today i went to midvalley, and spent just under three hours looking for the elusive pair of shoes that didn't have fluff, fungus (don't ask), ribbons, lips, hearts...i could go on, but then i would just seem extremely picky.

which i'm not. really!

i did manage to find maybe three pairs of shoes that were okay. and yeah, you guessed it.

"sorry miss, we only have the size 4" --- do i look like i could wear a FOUR? i'm no tiny person!!

"sorry miss, we only have the size 9" --- do i look like i could wear a NINE? i'm no huge person!!

i even went back to esarli and attempted to buy the same pair of shoes. and no, lol....they didnt have my size in case you were wondering...

i did, however, manage to buy two pairs of socks. whoop-de-bloody-doo.

the fates are against me, dontcha think?

no?

how's this.

we were supposed to go to new zealand, right? what i was looking forward to the most was jumping off a bridge that was over a river.

we didn't end up going to new zealand. we went back to europe instead.

no bungy jump.

we were supposed to go to singapore in december last year for the wedding anniversary of my aunty and uncle. one thing i really wanted to do? the reverse bungy jump.

we didn't end up going to singapore. my aunty (another one) couldn't bunny-sit charlie cuz they were going away that weekend, and my mum's car was acting up.

no bungy jump. or reverse bungy jump, rather.

then, we were supposed to go to phuket. this i couldnt wait for. i've been wanting to go to thailand for aaaages. i was looking forward to this HEAPS. one of the pros? they had a jungle bungy jump thingy.

we didn't end up going to phuket. two weeks before we were supposed to leave, the stupid mondo wave had to come and ruin everything and kill innocent people and...yeah.

no bungy jump.

somehow, i think that this is more than a freaky coincidence.

are they telling me i should just settle for sky-diving or white water rafting or something?

talk to me - clotho, lachesis, atropos. whatdya want???

51 things about me...

1. I was born under the sign of Taurus
2. In true Taurean spirit, I can be very, very stubborn
3. I was born in the Year of the Tiger. Tigers are known to be strong-minded
4. My dad is Christian. My mum is Hindu. Enough said.
5. I’m right-handed
6. I like anklets
7. I have an Australian bunny
8. I was born real early on the morning of the 12th of May
9. I like to collect things – I’ve got two boxes full of stuff I’ve had for years
10. I write way better than I speak
11. I love music
12. I love animals
13. I want to travel all around the world and see everything
14. I love necklaces
15. I am told that I am extremely picky when it comes to food
16. So what if I don’t like onions? Or olives, mushrooms, peppers, carrots…
17. I love cheese
18. I don’t sing
19. I love dessert
20. I love to wrap presents
21. I don’t drink coffee
22. I’ve been contemplating getting my nose pierced since last December
23. I can remember phone numbers, reservation numbers (like for my Simple Plan concert tickets!) and for some strange reason, the Identity Card numbers of both my parents
24. I love how my Reebok sneakers make walking so damn effortless
25. I’m a psychology major
26. I don’t like healthy food – I don’t go anywhere near muesli, oats, and the like. Horse food should be eaten by horses, not humans
27. I like Friday’s Lemon-Lime Frozen Margaritas
28. Je parle français, mais seulement un peu
29. I find Australian accents very interesting ;)
30. I can’t play chess
31. Jason Biggs (of American Pie) has the same birthday as me
32. I actually enjoy ironing. It’s even better if I have music on
33. I love board games
34. I can be a total perfectionist when it comes to certain things
35. I was allergic to any form of jewelry that wasn’t made of gold. I got sick of it, and stopped wearing gold, and now I can wear whatever I want, just not for long periods of time or when it’s really hot
36. I love taking pictures but I hate being in them
37. I remember really random things, so why can’t I remember what the five elements of the OCEAN personality test are?
38. I met the drummer of Simple Plan, and we hugged, too =D
39. If I could make up my mind and not change it, I’d get a tattoo
40. I want to be multi-lingual
41. I love doing quizzes – in magazines or online
42. I only know one of my grandparents – my dad’s mum
43. I wish I had a grandfather
44. I wish I had an older brother, too
45. Sometimes I get these feelings, like I know something is going to happen before it does. Call it hindsight bias or whatever else psychological term you can come up with, but it’s something else
46. I love going to malls with my friends and trying on clothes that we’ll probably never ever buy, let alone wear
47. I love Christmas
48. I want the Nokia 7260
49. I never thought I’d have a blog
50. I wish I could live forever
51. I need to go wash my hair now
    

of exams, shorts and elephants...

So anyway. My mid-terms are finally over, and as much as I wanna say that they don’t affect me the slightest bit, they do. And they did. My mum insists that I become a very crabby person when I have to spend a large part of the day cooped up in my room with an open textbook in front of me. And I can’t say she’s completely wrong either =p

I just remembered this and figured it should go in here:

Sunday night before my Social Psychology paper…

Me: Please tell me that Queer Eye last night was not a new episode, that
they’re repeating the season, and that Jai will be back, because even
though he is cute, Blair ain’t no Jai.

Ad: Yes lol he will be. He just leaves for two episodes or something…

Me: YAAAY!! The light at the end of my social psych tunnel =D

Okay that seemed a WHOLE lot funnier the other night…it’s not quite the same right now even though I dramatized it just a tad pfft.

So anyway.

The prawn story. *giggles*

We had gone to P.D. (which is a beach about an hour away, for the uninitiated) on one of the Chinese New Year days. To our great disappointment, the people (I’m sorry, but I have no idea who is in charge of these things) decided that it was a perfect day for a little bit of land reclamation. And where did the people decide to do this? RIGHT in front of my lil slice of…okay calling it paradise would be a very long shot, so forget about that. But it was right in front of the Yacht Club where we are sandwiched by the pool and the beach. Where we sit about all day and order endless rounds of Coke (90 sen for a WHOLE bottle!!), freshly squeezed juices and French fries, or whatever is the craving du jour.

My cousin Khanitha and I went for a little stroll to vent. After countless what-the-*beep*’s, we had made peace with the situation, and proceeded to go about with doing nothing. I read a book, spent some time in the sun, and then was rounded up for a little beach volleyball.

Or so we called it.

All I can say about that is we tried. We really did. Some people are just not meant for certain things. It was hilarious =)

P.D. is far from gorgeous. The water is murky, at its best. Visibility – let’s not even go there. I had no intention of submerging myself in the so-called sea, but I did, in the end. Cousins do that to you. Suddenly, you think to yourself, WAAAAIT a second I thought I wasn’t gonna do this! But there you are anyway, piggy-backing on one of them.

We were pretty far in, and messing about as usual.

Then suddenly, Jay says, “There’s something in my shorts”. Nobody really paid any attention. Meanwhile, he goes on to find out what exactly has invaded his shorts.

He thought it was a leaf.

He grabs it in his hand.

Now he’s not so sure it’s a leaf. He’s thinking it’s more like a stick.

His clenched fist emerges from the murky depths.

Slowly he unfurls his fingers in front of me.

And then I see a head. And legs.

What do I do?

I scream, of course!

He tosses it as far away as he can.

“Holy crap what the hell was that??!!”

“I think it was a prawn…”

Reduced to a fit of giggling, we both try to comprehend the fact that a PRAWN was in his SHORTS.

“That’s it, I’m getting outta here!”

I left the murky depths and headed for the shore.

Later, when telling my mum and yet another cousin about the rather adventurous – or misfortunate, depending on how you look at it – prawn, I was laughing so hard I didn’t know what I was saying!

So anyway.

A day or two later, we headed for the elephant sanctuary in Kuala Gandah. We had been there before, but it was like six years ago. The place is really different now, but what’s kinda. I don’t know. Interesting, is that the people who were there when we visited, the majority of them were not locals. I think we were the only ones. Some of the foreigners live here, and it was their sixth or seventh visit. I’d take a bet, that if I approach random Malaysians and ask them if they’ve heard of this place, they’d say no.

It’s an amazing experience, one that you don’t get to do even in Thailand, I’m told. You get to be so up-close to them, it’s unbelievable.

First, you get to feed them. They’re lead out [one actually walked out all by himself :) ]There’s about six of them, and they each have their own individual baskets of cut fruits, like papayas and watermelons. Most of them are partial to yam, though. So then you grab some fruit, and you just hold it out. Their trunks circle the crowd in front of them, looking for what they want. They’re kinda picky, actually =) Their trunks are like vacuum cleaners, it’s hilarious. It just makes you smile. Looking around, you see that everyone is smiling and having fun.

Then you get to ride them. Two elephants take visitors on a small round.

And then, they are taken to the little river, where people get on them to be thrown off.

I was standing in the shallow water, watching children squeal with pure, unadulterated delight as they ride the elephant a little further down the river, where it flips over to one side, throwing the kids off. They emerge, soaking wet with HUGE smiles on their faces.

What do I do?
I get in line, of course!

Getting on the elephant was hilarious, now that I think about it. It’s huge, and was sitting on one side, so when it got up, the three of us (my brother, me and another visitor) almost slid off, and you have to hang on like nobody’s business. I had cuts on my fingers from grabbing the rope. It’s just a tad uncomfortable if any part of your skin is exposed to the sandy elephant too! I was wearing three-quarter’s that I had rolled up some more, and later when I took my soggy clothes off, I found river sand in the folds!

And then the elephant walks…lumbers is more like it…down the river, and stops.

You go, uh-oh what the hell did I get myself into is it too late to get down I don’t wanna – and before you can finish that thought, you’re being thrown off an elephant.

For two seconds, you’re completely submerged in the river. It’s less that waist-deep, but when you’re thrown off, you go all the way to the bottom. And when you’re sitting behind someone, that someone lands on you, pushing you down more (it was my brother, in case you were wondering…).

And then you emerge. Soaking wet, with a huge smile on your face.

They only negative thing I have to say about this place is that their outdoor showers are a bloody mess, and need serious work.

I’m standing there, in next to nothing, and then I realize that my mum has accidentally took my jeans out of the bag of clothes when she brought it from the car.

What do I do?

I wrap two towels around my waist (one was too short, and the other was almost completely see-through!), and walk out of the showers, trying to ignore the strange looks from people wondering why I’m walking around in a towel (I had a t-shirt on, in case you were wondering…).

But anyway, it was a really cool experience, one that I’d definitely recommend. Plus, you get to play with a baby monkey rather strangely named Matthew, who belongs to the people who run a little café there. He’s adorable! The cheeky lil fella’s mum got shot or something, so the shop people are raising him. He has a penchant for sweet things, I gathered. I saw him lick icing sugar off a bowl. Then he hopped onto our table, stuck his fingers into my glass of lime juice (I had finished, in case you were wondering…) to get an ice-cube. He couldn’t, so he knocked it over, grabbed one, held it in his hands, and licked it. He’s adorable!!!

This is the website for the elephant sanctuary. I haven’t checked it out, so I can’t say anything about it.

http://www.myelephants.org

Getting there is a little tricky, but it’s worth it. They don’t have an entrance fee (quite silly if you ask me, cuz they get thousands of visitors a day!), they just ask that you donate before you leave.

So laters ;)

The book I was reading on the beach for the second time after a long wait was Bitten, by Kelley Armstrong. I definitely recommend it!

Song for today – You and Me by Lifehouse

Remember them?? I just heard this on the radio today, it’s an amazing song. Beautiful. Have a listen!

i'm still here.

in case you were wondering, no...i haven't dropped off the face of the planet.

i just have HEAPS of things to do right now. things that are a little more important than this, but nowhere near this fun :)

after all, the stories of the day a prawn crawled (swam?) up my cousin's shorts and how i got thrown off an elephant...and survived to tell the tale, must be told.

i'll be back.


song for today - promise by simple plan "...and now you're just slipping away..."

my age, apparently...and the elimination of adonis

You Are 16 Years Old

16 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

that's interesting. i can't say if it's true or not though, lol =)

on to more pressing matters...

The Elimination of Adonis

in case you've been living in the cave the past few weeks, i'm talking about Manhunt. yes the very cheesy reality tv show (yes, another one...) on Star World every tuesday at 10 pm. yes the one where they're looking for america's most gorgeous male model. yes the one where buff bods are on display through out the show. and yes - i know it's lame and degrading and all that jazz...but come on! i can certainly appreciate a fine specimen of the opposite sex, and i'm sure you can too. so shut up =)

just when i think the show isn't actually all that bad, the models open their mouths, and some of them really are bimboys (or himbos, whichever tickels your fancy...) !!! there certainly isn't any shortages of OHMYGOD moments, but some of them are so silly it's funny lol =)

remember when the had to have make-up on? and hunter was upset about wearing a kilt but his picture turned out amazing. he had the sultry, smouldering, yes-i'm-a-man-and-yes-i'm-wearing-a-kilt-that's-right-it's-a-KILT-not-a-skirt look down to perfection.

and then there was yesterday's episode, when they drenched him and his Levi's...'nuff said ;)

yes, hunter IS hot.

but he ain't no adonis.

they got rid of adonis.

i mean, hello! did you see the way his abs were yelling LOOK AT ME!! LOOK AT ME!! in the motorcycle ad? and last week, with the make-up. he's beautiful!

i am just completely jazzed that they got rid of smouldering adonis and kept someone like TATE. TATE! for crying out loud! and maurice? he can't hold a CANDLE to vin diesel. and they got rid of cutie matt too =/

the unfairness of it all.

and next week they wanna get rid of hawai'ian surfer boy jon =/

p.s. adonis is actually paulo. bruce hulse (and they call him a male model ewww...) called him adonis last week. from greek mythology, adonis was unearthly beautiful. and now his name is used as an allusion to an extremely attractive, youthful male.

songs for today - hear you me by jimmy eat world, and il est temps by kyo.

it's funny how these songs are exactly the opposite. aside from the obvious language differences, hear you me is a slow, soft, sad song. il est temps sounds like easy, happy kinda song, but it actually means waaaay more. "plus le temps passe et plus j'ai peur de perdre ma place au sein de ton cœur..."

is public speaking really as bad as i think it is? + me getting more flexible + running errands with headphones on, disconnected from the world.

hey.

so anyway. i think i'm okay with doing something about the whole thing. you know. as much as i want to ignore it and pretend everything is peachy, i can't. i just can't. grrrrr.....

so anyway.

friday was. lol...we had our public speaking(yuk) group presentation, and we were lucky enough to be assigned TWO whole chapters - ethics and diversity, and effective listening. the guy in our group whose laptop we were supposed to use, had technical issues happening with it. we didnt have time to rehearse at all. we had NO idea if our presentation was long enough, or too short, or if we were any good! it's a good thing another friend was around, and she had her laptop. we decided to borrow hers, but strangely enough, all we could get on screen was her desktop background (a picture of her dog). by then, the original laptop had been sorted, and in the end we used that one. it worked, and i thought our presentation went okay. then i found out our score - 9 outta 10!! i guess i'm doing better at public speaking (yuk) than i thought =D cheers, group members!

yoga on saturday was pretty damn cool. i did this thing i had no idea i could. i can't explain it lol it's too complicated. but lying down on my back, knees bent, feet on the floor. hands behind head, and you balance yourself on the crown of your head (yes it kinda does hurt when you have a hard floor under your mat), then i put my elbows on the floor! i was like WHOA! =D

and OH MY GOD i saw the end bit of shut up i was sooo mad i missed it but it's hot damn!

so anyway.

i was at my temp job, and i got send out to get marker pens and rubber bands, cuz we now have to change the date on like 10 000 books of coupons cuz some wiseass decided to change the date of the bazaar. i had my discman with me, and man, now i know why certain people always have headphones on. the music like. disconnects you from the world around you, sorta. you feel a million miles away. but, at the same time, it heightens your awareness. you're in a daze, almost. but you notice everything. it's funky. i like.

song for today - promise by simple plan

"and now you're just slipping away...without you it's just not quite the same..."

yada yada yada.

stupid computer bullshit.

i was trying to get spaces into that last one but i couldnt. it just wouldnt work. screw it, and my apologies.

in a perfect world.

in the words of pierre bouvier, chuck comeau, david desrosiers, sebastien lefebvre and jeff stinco...

i never could have seen this far
i never could have seen this coming
it seems like my world's falling apart
why is everything so hard
i don't think that i can deal
with the things you said
it just won't go away

in a perfect world
this could never happen
in a perfect world
you'd still be here
and it makes no sense
i can just pick up the pieces
but to you this means nothing
nothing at all

i used to think that i was strong
until the day it all went wrong
i think i need a miracle to make it through
i wish that i could bring you back
i wish that i could turn back time
cuz i can't let go
i just can't find my way
without you i just can't find my way

i don't know what i should do now
i don't know where i should go
i'm still here waiting for you
i'm lost when you're not around
i need to hold on to you
i just can't let you go

in a perfect world
this could never happen
in a perfect world
you'd still be here
and it makes no sense
i can just pick up the pieces
but to you this means nothing
nothing at all

you feel nothing
nothing at all

i was listening to this while stapling another million coupon books for HELP's tsunami bazaar at my temp job. i listened to the words, and i don't know...i just felt like i was being heard. i'm not as "oh my god it's the end of the world" as the person in the song, but i can relate, for sure, on some levels. the raw emotion in the song kinda made me feel better...

we have a public speaking presentation on friday that i havent started i'm screwed hah so laters.

song for today - oh jeez it's obvious dontcha think?

all i want is everything. and everything is you.

you know how it is.

you tell yourself to be careful, not to get attached. not to get too involved.

cuz you know that what is yours now may not be yours forever.

cuz you know someday the small steps away from you will become one big step.

but you do it anyway. you can't help yourself. you almost jump into it with reckless abandon. and you enjoy every single moment. okay, maybe not every single moment. but you know, deep down inside, that if you were given a chance to go back and not do it, you wouldnt. you wouldnt change the fact that you got involved. you know that you're that much...richer, in a sense because of what you've been through. because of what you have. or had, depending on how you look at it.

and then, once in a while, when the going gets tough, you tell yourself, see this is why you shouldnt have done this. you tell yourself that this is it. you get mad because you worry about them, and it seems to be for no reason. you get mad because you care so damn much and you can't help it.

you fight for it.

and then somehow, stuff works out. somehow, things arent as bad as they seemed. besides, you know that no matter what you do, you cant stay mad at someone who makes you laugh. somehow, things work themselves out. you're cut, but you just can't help but fall again, with as much, sometimes even more reckless abandon. you think to yourself, i'm setting myself up for more hurt, and more heartache.

but you can't help it.

you remember the good times. you remember the perfect times.

the times you laughed so much it hurts.

the time a simple text message made you feel impossibly safe and protected.

the time you smiled beacuse of two little words.

the time you went to bed and got up with them on your mind.

the innocent teasing.

the promises.

the plans.

you convince yourself that in some crazy way, it's all worth it.

and you know what, it really, truly is. that, i can promise you.

so you go with it. and you enjoy the ups. you hate the downs. but you don't really care about that cuz when you're in the up zone, the downs seem so distant.

so false.

you question if you really felt that way, if you really felt like you wanted out. you think that's crazy and you can't imagine ever wanting out of something like this.

you're caught up in the moment.

you wish this would last forever. and if this was forever, you know you'd be the most content person to have ever lived.

and then it all comes crashing down.

well, okay, maybe it didnt come all crashing down.

but the thing you knew was gonna happen eventually, happens.

you think to yourself - i knew this was bound to happen. i should be okay with it.

but you can't understand why you're not okay with it. why you're so. crushed.

dammit. you got too attached. ooops.

admitting it doesnt make it hurt any less, though.

you picture what you know happened in your head, and you get this really strange feeling in your gut. you guess that's what people mean when they say they felt their hearts sink.

you tell yourself you will be okay. and that really, you feel happy that you had that experience. and that you're happy for them because they're happy. and if there's anyone who deserves to be happy, it's them.

you tell yourself all these things, but you still feel like your heart is somewhere in the region of your ankles.

you tell yourself, once again, you'll be okay.

but deep down inside, you don't know that. you don't know that you'll be okay.

when something is yours for so long, and then it suddenly isn't anymore, you can't possibly just get up the next day and be okay with that.

so what do you do now, you ask yourself. do you let go? you can't even begin to imagine letting go.

do you take a step back? but because the lines were so blurred to begin with, you dont know where you stand now.

a little bit of you doesnt even wanna go there and find out. you don't want to bring it up, almost. because that will mean acknowledging its existence. yet you know you have to. which makes it even more confusing.

you know it's there, but you dont want to.

you think to yourself, it's for the best. but the best for who?

but most importantly, you know that you're a much better person. a stronger person. because it happened.

and for that, you're thankful.

you tell yourself that you'll be okay.

because you have to be.

song for today - you by switchfoot

comment apprécier la vie quand c'est toi qui me manques?

don't read anything into that...it's just a song i'm listening to right now. if you don't know what it means, it's how can i appreciate life when it's you that i lack...or something like that. a lot of the real meaning gets lost in translation =/ okay on second thoughts, read everything into that...

i had my hair cut yesterday morning, after like about 9 months. it wasnt heaps long, and now it isnt heaps short either. it's just layered in places and stuff. the last time i had it cut was before we went to switzerland cuz i didnt want the hassle of having to wash my then kinda long hair every other day when it was all cold and things. then i didnt get it cut cuz my cousin's wedding was coming up, and long hair is easier to deal with. then i didnt get it cut because we were going to phuket and i wanted to get it braided and have really long braids and things. then the damn tsunami had to hit, and we cancelled out trip.

it still kinda freaks me out a little. i mean, if nothing had happened on the 26th, we woulda left for phuket today morning. i'd be there right now. tonight we would have been staying in a hotel that's RIGHT on patong beach. anything could have happened. it could have been tomorrow morning instead of last month.

i feel the saddest for the tourists who went on holiday and never came back. or came back in a box. or in pieces. or came back without a child, or without a parent. a member of their family gone forever. how do you even begin to deal with something like that?? it's incomprehensible. i wouldnt wish that on a person i hate with everything i have, even.

okay i can't think about this anymore.

song for today - remember to breathe by dashboard confessional

my first speech!! ...for the class, anyway =p

yesterday was the second round of icebreaker speeches, and finally, it was my turn! it was only 3 minutes long, but it seemed much, much longer. i started out with writing down - points for visual aids ;) - six different ways to say hi (shalom in hebrew, salut in french, hola in spanish, kalimera in greek and merhaba in turkish, i cant remember the other one). then i talked about how i want to be multilingual, my family, how we love to travel - i brought some pictures of when i was in india, america, and switzerland, one of charlie and i, and one of my brother and i when he was a baby. i then basically talked about what i like - music, animals, bart simpson; and what i dont - working part-time, discussing religion and public speaking. i think i did forget some points, but that's bound to happen no matter how much you practice, so it's all good =)

on the way back from college, i swung by the bookshop of Universiti Malaya, as recommended by Sulay to look for my Intercultural textbook. i had NO idea the place was so massive! i mean, seriously! there were SO many cars in there! on a late friday afternoon, too! it's HUGE they've got like a million departments for what seemed like everything on earth. finding the bookshop wasnt so difficult, but when the guard explained the location to me in malay, it took a few seconds to register what he was actually saying! i guess it's true then, what they say - use it or loose it. i cant remember the last time i had to speak or understand malay! =/

the bookshop was. interesting. they have SO many books, it's amazing they even know where anything is! i didnt have any course outlines with me, so i had to get the names and titles of the books i was looking for via sms (thanks again, guys!), and when they finally found what i was looking for on their computer, they couldnt find it on the shelves! they were supposed to have like TWENTY copies but they couldnt find a single one. and get this - they're selling the book for 28.80, and the guy who's selling the books in college is selling it for 55.00!!! jezuz! now im waiting to hear from mph if they have the books. damn it's never been this annoying to get textbooks...

i have a yoga class in a bit and i have to write a paper about how my culture affects the way i communicate, or something like that.

so, laters!