Rainbows of Live

Skip Polystyrene Styrofoam Cups and Plates - Styrofoam Plastics Leach Chemicals - thedailygreen.com

2009-02-04T12:01:00.001+11:00

Skip Polystyrene Styrofoam Cups and Plates - Styrofoam Plastics Leach Chemicals - thedailygreen.com

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usbcell

2009-01-02T18:54:00.002+11:00

I think this is pretty self-explanatory.

Check this out at the website: usbcell

Available in Europe, USA, Canada , Australasia, Asia (JP, SG, KR), South America, and Africa

documentaries online

2008-09-04T10:21:00.004+10:00

Hey, I hope you guys are all doing well..
Sorry I have not been writing as often as I used to, as I'm totally swamped with things to do.. Just like today, I was trying to search online on the one-child policy in China, and I stumbled upon journeymanpictures' videos. It is essentially an online library of documentaries! I'm not allowed to embed the videos without permission, so I suppose you'll just have to go to youtube to view the video yourself...

Didn't know what image I should put for this entry, so, a world map.. Heh. :-P

2008-08-27T16:25:00.002+10:00

This work is entitled: Hunters
By: Banksy, a UK graffiti artist, pretty cool stuff. This one here, happened to be one of his indoor artworks. I thought that it has got a great twist to it. Need I say more?

"Banksy's stencils feature striking and humorous images occasionally combined with slogans. The message is usually anti-war, anti-capitalist or anti-establishment. Subjects include animals such as monkeys and rats, policemen, soldiers, children, and the elderly." [taken from Wikipedia, cos I am too tired to use my brain] But his works are great! Just wanna put it here so share with you and also, to ensure that I will return to check his website again..

So, please go to his website to http://www.banksy.co.uk/ to have a look for yourself.

booth and bones talking about real love and sex

2008-08-01T19:24:00.003+10:00

Booth: "I'll tell you why. Here we are, all of us, basically alone, separate creatures, just circling each other, all searching for that slightest hint of a real connection. Some look in the wrong places, some, they just give up hope because, in their mind, they're thinking, oh, there's nobody out there for me. But all of us, we keep trying over and over again. Why? Because every once in a while... every once in a while, two people meet and there's that spark, and yes, Bones, he's handsome and she's beautiful, and maybe that's all they see at first. But making love... making love... that's when two people become one."

Bones: "It is scientifically impossible for two objects to occupy the same space"

Booth: "Yeah, but what's important is we try. And when we do it right, we get close"

Bones: "To what? Breaking the laws of Physics?"

Booth: "Yeah, Bones, a miracle..."

get a mac ads

2008-05-26T11:57:00.005+10:00

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I can't stop laughing! These "get a mac" ads are so fantastic!!

Now, check out the Japanese versions!! WAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!

ten ways to go green and save money!

2008-05-23T15:51:00.006+10:00

This article is taken from this website. I would highly recommend that you go and visit the original page, as there are alot more interesting links which I did not include here.

How can we live lightly on the Earth and save money at the same time? Staff members at the Worldwatch Institute, a global environmental organization, share ideas on how to GO GREEN and SAVE GREEN at home and at work.

ONE - Save energy to save money

+ Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.

+ Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.

+ Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use.

+ Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.

+ Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying. If you must use a dryer, consider adding dryer balls to cut drying time.

TWO - Save water to save money

+ Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too.

+ Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.

+ Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.

+ Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.

THREE - Less gas = more money (and better health!)

+ Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.

+ Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term.

+ Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in bettering your health and reducing traffic.

FOUR - Eat smart

+ If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.

+ Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy.

+ Watch videos about why local food and sustainable seafood are so great.

+ Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain. This is especially true for seafood.

FIVE - Skip the bottled water

+ Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste.

+ Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you when traveling or at work.

+ Check out this short article for the latest on bottled water trends.

SIX - Think before you buy

+ Go online to find new or gently used secondhand products. Whether you've just moved or are looking to redecorate, consider a service like craigslist or FreeSharing to track down furniture, appliances, and other items cheaply or for free.

+ Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items.

+ When making purchases, make sure you know what's "Good Stuff" and what isn't.

+ Watch a video about what happens when you buy things. Your purchases have a real impact, for better or worse.

SEVEN - Borrow instead of buying

+ Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books.

+ Share power tools and other appliances. Get to know your neighbors while cutting down on the number of things cluttering your closet or garage.

EIGHT - Buy smart

+ Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging.

+ Wear clothes that don't need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use.

+ Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but you'll be happy when you don't have to replace items as frequently (and this means less waste!).

NINE - Keep electronics out of the trash

+ Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible.

+Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and is a growing environmental problem.

+ Recycle your cell phone.

+ Ask your local government to set up an electronics recycling and hazardous waste collection event.

TEN - Make your own cleaning supplies

+ The big secret: you can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap.

+ Making your own cleaning products saves money, time, and packaging-not to mention your indoor air quality.

ELVEN - Bonus Item!

Stay informed about going green. Sign up for our weekly newsletter or subscribe to World Watch, award-winning magazine!!

why i love my classes so much

2008-04-22T16:14:00.006+10:00

Just to make you a little bit jealous of me, Muahahaha (*evil laughter), here is a picture of my class today. A presentation by Jane on feministic designs, accompanied with her homemade muffins and tea. Life as an art student is wonderful...

a new friend in the neighbourhood

2008-04-18T18:06:00.003+10:00

This is one of my neighbour's cat. It has been a regular visitor at our place recently. And whenever it comes over, it will try very hard to get into our bedrooms, rub and stretch itself out on the kitchen floor. Try and catch some spiders, after that, hop onto one of the armchairs and just nap till it is time for dinner.. Soooo adorable.. Just look at how it slept so peacefully and soundly on the chair..

this will make an interesting birthday

2008-04-07T21:21:00.005+10:00

The police came to my place today. And they've found the car thief! Hoorahh!!
I've been notified that I will have to attend the hearing the day before my birthday as a witness. Hahaha.. I find this really amusing, because this is my first court hearing. Plus, I might have to appear on the stand, take the oath, and be questioned by the lawyer. Well, even if I do take the stand, I probably have only one line to say, "Yes, that was my car".

Conclusions will only be drawn on the following day. I might consider skipping school to go for it. Anyway, I will try and keep you updated.

happy chinese new year

2008-02-21T00:27:00.005+11:00

Happy Chinese New Year to you!!

This year's Chinese New Year celebration is exceptionally fantastic. I've invited a couple of friends over for a make-shift steamboat at my place. Here's a pic of Anna busy teaching Shaun and Flora how to wrap the wantons. All in all, about 13 people came, sat and ate at my humble home.. :P There was so much laughter, chit chat and food! That's the way to really spend this special day... I did take a couple more pictures, but alas, they are film based, and I will take forever to get them developed. Haa..

Anyways, may more happy days such as this come our way... Cheers to everyone! :)

the story of stuff

2008-01-28T12:44:00.004+11:00

This very cool website have been sitting in my inbox for a very long time! Augh! Why didn't I see it sooner. Anyway...

The story of stuff - is, in my honest opinion, good is many aspects. It is fantastically well-made - nicely planned, programed, designed, plus, it is interactive, informative and educational (for those who are not exposed to the patterns of consumption)..

Have a look at the teaser:

Now, now.. don't be lazy, go click on the link and see the rest for yourself. You might just learn a thing or two about how our lifestyles CAN and WILL affect the rest of the world...

laze

2008-01-21T01:38:00.000+11:00

I am feeling really lazy these days.
I have doubled my driving lessons with Ken and have started working, part-time in town last week. Work is alright, as I believe I have had it worse before. But, whenever I got home, I just want to laze in bed and watch something, anything. Even if I am just staring at Alfred, waiting for my program to complete downloading. So long as I don't have to move and use my brain. I find it very unproductive, yet at the same time, I am somewhat comfortable with it (hmmm, kind of troubling..). I forget to water the plants again. Good thing all the plants I have at home are the hardy kind. Dishes are now left till morning. My nose started misbehaving on Saturday, so, I did not go to church this week. I wonder if it was due to the weather, or is it because my bedsheet needs to be changed again. Augh, household chores are endless, just like work. Once I have finished clearing something, before I know it, I have to do it all over again. Like, vacuuming the floor, washing my clothes, cleaning the toilet, and weeding and trimming the grass. I mean, I don't mind doing all that. As what Flora said, it can be therapeutic sometimes, but I am in a lazy mood. Super lazy.

Well, I have better get my butt moving this week. So that I can get some things cleared off my plate before it is too late! I have to post my mails out, re-confirm my course and re-print my resume soon!

Earlier on today, I was searching for something on google, and I discovered this neat site call Jamendo that showcases music artists, mostly from the UK. Music artists who joined Jamendo, chose to give access to their music for free to the users. All music tracks on the site are published with Creative Commons licenses. Thus, they are free for us to download! Some of the albums are really good. And did I mention too that you can preview the content and play the tracks before deciding if you want to download them? Since I have experienced no trouble previewing the tunes here, I am certain that you people elsewhere, with faster internet connection will enjoy this. The streaming time taken is next to nothing compared to other music related sites. So have fun browsing! More things to entertain yourself with. Let Jamendo open your ears...

oh animes

2008-01-20T16:08:00.000+11:00

Are you an anime fan? I love animes! I find them entertaining, and fascinatingly creative. The types of animes that I usually fall for are those whose characters have some kind of special power. Ha.. Maybe that is because I sometimes wish I have some too? Anyway, no matter what kind of anime character, I believe that the success of an anime lies on the visual sensation of the characters, as well as on a good plot or storyline that will help bring out the characters of the anime to life. My dear friend Mav asked me to give her a list of animes, as I have been asking her to watch this, and that but she could never remember them all. Moreover, there are so many animes out there, it is sometimes hard to decipher which is good. I find this website animenewsnetwork most helpful when it comes to finding out about the reviews of the animes I want to watch. Below are animes, not in any particular order, that I had seen mostly in recent years.

Rated as such:
Not bad - *
Okie, I like - **
Must watch - ***

Inuyasha ***
Neon Genesis Evangalion ***
My Neighbour Totoro (Movie) ***
Howl's Moving Castle (Movie) ***
Chrono Crusade ***
Fullmetal Alchemist ***
Eureka Seven ***
Rurouni Kenshin ***
Spirited Away (Movie) ***
Shakugan no Shana ***
DN Angel ***
Moon Phase ***
Rozen Maiden ***
Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya ***
Honey and Clover I and II **
Cardcaptor Sakura ***
Sola **
Mahou Sensei Negima! *
Bleach ***
Naturo **
Mai Hime **
Mai Otome (adaptation) *
Karin **
Flame of Recca ***
Scrapped Princess *
Full Metal Panic! *
Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (Sequel) **
Full Metal Panic! Second Raid (Sequel) **
Black Cat ***
Serial Experiments Lain ***
Ghost In A Shell (Movie) ***
Doremon *****Wahaha, Classic!

If you want my opinion on each of them, then I don't think this entry will ever end!! So, I'd say just go watch it and find it out yourselves, okie? :-)

Currently, I am waiting for these:

Mushi-shi
Monster
Death Note
One Piece
Sky Girls
Ergo Proxy
EF - A Tale of Memories
H2O ~ Footprints In The Sand
School Rumble
True Tears
Samurai Champloo
UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie
.Hack//
Fate/Stay Night
Kaze no Stigma
Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan
Rental Magica and,
Kekkaishi - Thanks Mav for recommanding this, it is really good!

Though I am curious about the following animes, I think I might pass on them.

When They Cry:
ermmm, thought the anime looks cute, but the storyline seems abit scary.

Strawberry Marshmallow:
I think they are wayyy too cute.

Peach Girl:
Sorry, I am not really interested in love stories and back-stabbers.

Gundam Series:
Errmm, sorry again, I am just not keen.. Though I heard that it is good.

Air (TV):
I accidentally watched the finale, and it is sooooo sad, that I decided not to watch the series.

Chobits
No offense, but after watching the first two to three episodes, I decided not to follow the story anymore. Maybe I'll pick it up again, some other time.

Phew** That's alot of animes and hmtl codes for one blog entry.. I hope this is helpful, Mav... Happy hunting and watching these animes! Oh, and by the way, I found this picture online, really something. How many anime series characters do you recognise from this? Heh.. Tired now.. Laters!

food food food and more food

2008-01-19T17:32:00.000+11:00

I'm pretty certain that you are familiar with overseas students or Singaporeans lamenting that they miss Singapore food. I admit that I am one of them.

Singapore is such a food paradise. And every Singaporean if not all, would tell you that food can easily be the centre of our Singapore culture and lives. Good food, means good life. No matter where Singaporeans go, they will always gather to eat or share some food. Therefore, we relate most vividly to our Singaporean roots through Singapore delights. But, perhaps it is also the only thing other than our family and friends that really makes us re-connect with Singapore.

And the funny thing is, no matter where Singaporeans are, they loveeee to write about the food that they have tasted, misses or the dishes they tried making. There are soooo many examples out there. See here, here, here, here's another one, and here. Some people take it as a form of therapy, others as a form of memoir, or just love to eat and love to take pictures of yummy food. Even travelers write about their visits to Singapore, drizzled with experiences of trying our local foods. Somehow, the two have become inseparable. There are slightly more 'professional' blogs, such as chubbyhubby, foodparadise, and ieatishootipost, who reviews food in and around Singapore.

Fortunately, not everyone's a critic. Recipe blogs can make life easier. Especially for people like me, overseas. I think I would tend to favor Strait-Chinese food, even though I am not particular about what I eat. I love all kinds of food, tasty food. But I find Strait-Chinese delicacies savory. A beautiful combination of Chinese and Malay cooking, with a touch of indian spices, and lots of coconut milk. Here are two recipe blogs that I found and simply love them. I have placed the links under the list of blogs in the side window. One is Susan Chua's Nonya Kueh blog. It seems like she have not been active on the blog, nevertheless I am grateful for her willingness to share the recipes, as well as her dedication in writting everything down. This other blog I found is pretty impressive. The recipes posted in this blog called; nicerecipes were orginally handwritten and passed down since 1957! The amount of detail, history and beautiful handwritten notes by the blog owner's grandmother, were carefully scanned and preserved in the blog. Truly awesome.

I do not really know which Singapore local dish would be considered the top 10, most famous. But I reckon that these would definitely make it into the list:
Hainanese Chicken Rice,
Nasi Lemak,
Cha Kway Tiao (with cockles of course!),
Carrot Cake (Singapore stir fried style),
Katong Laksa,
Beef Hor Fun,
Roti Prata (or Roti Chanai in Malaysia),
Black Pepper Chili Crab,
Mee Siam, and
Noodle dishes - wonton noodles, mince meat noodles, ban mian noodles, the list can't just end here!

Other famous local delights definitely includes:
Ice Kachang (or A.B.C in Malaysia - Air Batu Campur, directly translated as Water Rock Mix),
Kueh Lapis,
Pandan Chiffon or Pandan Kaya Cake,
The Singapore Sling, and
Durian puffs...

If you are wondering why Satay and Otak are not in the list, that is because, I believe our neighbour, Malaysia may have it better. Oh, what about BBQ Sambal Stingray? Fish-head Bee Hoon, Satay Bee Hoon, Mutu Curry? Ahhh.. and Chwee Kueh, Mua Chee, Kway Chap as well.. Augh,.. What about Lor Mee, Mee Bandong, Sambal Blacan Fried Rice, Nasi Padang and Currypuffs?? Okie okie... this blog entry is really making me hungry. Augh.. I'm going to the kitchen and make myself some dinner.

Laters!

Contents of images are Hainanese Chicken Rice, Laksa, and Fried Carrot Cake. Yummm.

happy belated new year people

2008-01-09T15:28:00.001+11:00

Hello people. Happy belated New Year.. I know I know, I have not been blogging alot. And I am even late in wishing all of you Merry Christmas and Happy New year. I have been busy living my life, you see. And Aa came over, so we had spent some time together, going places.. I would have posted them up. But if you've read this entry before you saw any of the entries.. Sorry** be patient, okie? It'll be up soon..

New year..

Well, first of all, I must say that I am really grateful that despite being a pretty tough year, the Lord is merciful and allowed me to pull it through, so that I can proceed into third year.

Resolution? I don't really believe that it ever works... but I do hope that some things may change for the better of course.. I definitely hope that the world will become a better place to live in..

By the way, for those who are working, and wanting to maintain a good relationship with your bosses.. I have a de-stress game just for you to help you manage your anger There are 17 ways for you to 'get back on your boss' in this game. I found all 17. Let's see if you can find them. Ha!

wilbur

2007-12-08T12:22:00.000+11:00

Meet my new car - Wilbur
He is a '92 Ford Festiva
Manual and without power steering (Augh!)

I bought this car over from Valerie, whom I got to know through Flora.
Compared to the previous car, this is compact and less powerful.. Well, this is what happens when you ask me to choose a car. I would usually end up picking a cute but not very practical or functional car. Nevertheless, I love Wilbur and I do hope that I will get to drive it every once in a while soon.

May God bless Wilbur. To be safe on the road and not get abducted, tortured or abandoned like Elle.

mua chee

2007-11-29T10:21:00.000+11:00

I have been wanting to learn to make Mua Chee from Karin. Over this holiday, we have at last found time to do it. So, here is the result of our hard work. Well, it is not really hard to make, but it sure is tedious. When we finally get to taste it, the sense of achievement is very satisfactory. According to Karin, the method that she taught me is the authentic way of making this delightful Teochew dish. Unlike those sold in the markets, we used glutinous rice flour, and pounded on the dough with sesame oil till every inch is coated and the texture is smooth. Peanuts and sesame seeds were roasted to bring out the flavours. Karin had also insisted on using coarse sugar, as it would give a better contrast to the texture of the dough. Thanks to her kindness, patience and willingness to pass on the knowledge to me, I have gained much more than just a skill. Rather, I have re-gained abit of my heritage, and the memories of individuals whom I have shared special moments with over a plate of Mua Chee...

I can still remember there was one occasion, I told grandma that I am craving for some mua chee. She enthusiastically told me that she could make it for me. So she went to the wet market the following day to get the ingredients. Unlike me, she had no one to teach her how to make it. So, she had actually figured it out herself. Her first batch of mua chee was not all that impressive, and we can all tell too that she was not very please with the result. So she tried again. And again. And... again. We ended up eating mua chee for one whole week. None of us really want to dampen her spirit. But, eventually, we told her the truth. We don't want anymore mua chee. Since then, I don't recall seeing her making it again. Nonetheless, I am very proud of her determination and dedication in making me her first plate of Mua Chee...

just a couple more days...

2007-11-07T12:33:00.000+11:00

Man, I am so way behind in my posting on my blog.
I have so much that I wanted to write about, and share with you.
But alas, it will just have to wait a few more days.

My last exam paper is this friday and still have one SUPER OVERDUE assignment to finish.
Yet, I am doodling around.. sigh* Alright, I confess. I am not all that discipline in this area.
But, I'll get it done eventually!!!

Conveniently, I have taken aiyomatt's "under construction" image, to convey my exact sentiment for my blog.
I wonder what his/her website is about though? hmm..

Tim is a 2007 weblog awards finalist

2007-11-04T21:45:00.000+11:00

Well well, what do you know? I actually have a friend whose blog made it to being one of the finalists, under the Asian Blog category, in the weblog awards this year! Though, I would not have associated him immediately as an asian blogger, cause, to me, he is more like an Australian, hmmm.. Nevertheless, let me confess, his blog has a whole lot more entertaining content than whatever I can ever come up with. Not to mention too that he has got a better sense of humour than I do.. Haha..

So, click here to vote for the best asian blog. If you would like to support Tim, then, click on Terra Byte to cast a vote for him! Voting ends on the 9th of November I think..

Here's the link to his blog, if you are keen to have a read. Cheers! :-)

And oh yeah, all the best Tim! ;-)

my obsession with lines

2007-10-30T12:16:00.000+11:00

Phew* .. I had just made it in time..
The exhibtiion yesterday was a huge success!!
There was quite a decent crowd that came for the opening. Snacks, beers and wine were served. People were all engaged in small talks and conversations.. When I finally made my way to the exhibition (as I was still in the school library trying to finish up my write-up), most of my classmates came and told me how everyone was raving over my piece of artwork. They loved it. Enjoyed it. Appreacited it. I am contented. *big grin*

Obsession with Lines - Memories of Mount Solitary, 2007, that's the title of my artwork.
I guess this is why I love making art. To me I enjoy the moments when my artworks are being displayed, viewed, and appreciated, beyond my skills of drawing, but to discover and enjoy the creative 'punt' or concepts behind each of my artworks.

To think that just a couple of hours before the exhibition, i was STILL slogging. I was working all night, non-stop. Somehow this reminded me of those sleepless nights and days during my high school GCE 'O' Levels art project.. Sigh** Such nostalgia ...

Thank you Mav. and Kan Wee for staying up till late and giving me the moral support that I needed. Thank you for being there for me! You are the best mates Pam can ever dream of having...

Very sorry people -- I have decided not to post the images of my artwork in the blog, till I learn how to put in watermarks on the images or something to ensure it's not being misused. Maybe you can teach or tell me how to?? Well, if you are curious and really want to see it, leave a note or something, and I will get back to you.. Cheers!

louis armstrong's wise words

2007-10-27T11:34:00.000+11:00

Spoken intro to "What a Wonderful World" (1970 version)
Some of you young folks been saying to me, "Hey Pops, what you mean 'What a wonderful world'? How about all them wars all over the place? You call them wonderful? And how about hunger and pollution? That aint so wonderful either." Well how about listening to old Pops for a minute. Seems to me, it aint the world that's so bad but what we're doin' to it. And all I'm saying is, see, what a wonderful world it would be if only we'd give it a chance. Love baby, love. That's the secret, yeah. If lots more of us loved each other, we'd solve lots more problems. And then this world would be better. That's wha' ol' Pops keeps saying. Yeah!

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see em bloom, for me and for you
And I think to myself, What a wonderful world

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white
Bright blessed days, the dark sacred nights
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

The colors of a rainbow, so pretty, in the sky
Are also on the faces, of people, going by
I see friends shaking hands, sayin, 'how do you do?'
They're really sayin', I love you

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more, than I'll never know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

(instrumental break)

The colors of a rainbow,
So pretty, in the sky
Are there on the faces,
Of people, going by
I see friends shaking hands,
Sayin, 'how do you do?"
They're really sayin',
*Spoken* I love you

I hear babies cry,
I watch them grow
*Spoken* you know their gonna learn,
A whole lot more than I'll never know
And I think to myself,
What a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself,
What a wonderful world... (voice trilling off..)

i am eating more than a hundred dollars worth of food!

2007-10-12T16:53:00.000+11:00

To my horror, my groceries cost me AU$113.22/= today!!!

Well.. what to do? I have not done my groceries for quite a while now, since I have been cooped up at home trying to get my work done. I have practically ran out of pasta, onions, eggs, milk, bread, meat (a girl will always need her meat), instant noodles (its about survival) and titbits (motivation to keep going). I have jam with no bread to go with, cereals with no milk, and not to mention my veggies (this too is vital to a girl) are rotting with nothing to cook with.. Yeap, rotting. And I really meant it pretty literally. The only thing that was left was about a quarter bag of rice...

My habit to grocery shopping is to never use a trolley. Because, then I will not end up over-buying, and killed by attempting to carry my groceries home. But I was so short of daily staples that I had to end my grocery shopping with a few items missing - eggs, milk, toilet paper and my intended dinner - roast chicken. And look at how much I have carried home - Three BIG bags of food. Looks like alot of food for one person, isn't it? Haaaa...

Hmmm.. Come to think of it, perhaps it was also because I had not been shopping much. No time. And I guess, being stress from all the (*#^%@# assignments, I had vented it out on my groceries... hmmm... I wonder... Anyways.

I am going back to the supermarket to get the rest of the missing items.. And I believe, my next visit to the supermarket will be at least three weeks from now.. (Bust my buget on food!).. AUGH! Agony.

potato tale

2007-10-11T21:26:00.000+11:00

Something that I read about the humble potato yesterday:

"During the seventeenth century, the potato attracted much attention from the herbalists, it being a member of the poisonous nightshade family and furthermore the first tuberous edible plant known to them. it was evidently prized by aristocratic gardeners as a curiosity and eventually served at court dinners as a highly platable novelty. But it made but little headway among the peasantry, who are proverbially suspicious of all innovations and had grave reservations about this one. By some it was thought that if the Lord had intended the potato for human consumption, it would have been mentioned in the Bible. it was alleged to be poisonous and a cause of leprosy. In 1630 the parlement of Franche Comte forbade its use for fear of leprosy and Burgundy followed suit."

"... The armies of the War of the Spanish Succession experienced the great famine of 1709, one of the worst in European history. Reduced to a diet of bark and grass, both peasants and soldiers took to the potato with the utmost gratitude and enthusiasm."

Wow...

Text taken from: Langer, L. William (1975). American foods and European's population growth 1750 - 1850. Journal of Social History. Vol. 8, No. 2 (Winter 1975), p53.

And Image taken from here... Cheers!

ma po udon

2007-10-04T20:06:00.000+10:00

I have been eating really badly these days, given that I do not have time to cook.. But today, I really wanted to eat ma po tofu.. Since I ended class late, the asian shop has closed. So I heeded my friend K's advice and made my own version - fake mapo tofu sauce with udon noodles. Doesn't look all that bad, right? There's at least 12 ingredients in that sauce. It's spicy. That's all that I remembered.. But it had nevertheless satisfied my craving.. heh :P

thumbie is back

2007-10-02T19:26:00.000+10:00

Remember thumbie? The thumb drive that I lost in school? Well, what do you know? Thumbie's back! Haaa.. I brought Heley's to the reception too.. Hopefully she had gone to pick it up.. See, I told you that they went on an exchange. I wonder where my thumbie went before landing at the reception counter.. Hmmm

to mav

2007-09-20T17:02:00.000+10:00

What is this? A parcel from Singapore? Hmmm. Pretty distinct handwriting...

Ah! Who else but Mav. Hahaha. What a nice surprise. I wonder what's inside? It was written there - a doll and an ornament. Hmmm...

Yes Mav, very creative. Haaahaaahaaa... Ohhhh.. I am scaredd.. Hehee..

Oh! What's that staring back at me!?!?!

OooOoo.. It's the doll! Hahaha! It's so cute and pretty unique. I can so tell that you picked this, Mav. Very distinct. But I wondered if you wanted me to remember you this way? Or did you remembered me this way... hmmmm... Abit worrisome... Anyway..

Good thing this little thingy survived the journey. The puffer fishy is really adorable! Ha.. Now I have something to place in my car.

A wonderfully picked card, which contents I shall not reveal, somewhat sums up our almost 10 years of friendship. How time flies. But thank you Mav, for being such a dear to me too. You are to me, just as precious as God made you to be!

Thanks Mav!

play blogger play - entertaining

2007-09-18T16:44:00.000+10:00

Yes yes. You are right. I have not been blogging lately. That's because I am REALLY BUSY! AUGH.. Assignments are piling up and they are driving me nuts. The good and bad thing is, there are always very good distractions that will take me away from my anxiety, yet at the same time, they are taking up the precious little time that I have left to do my homework..

This is one that I have just learnt about today when I came in to blogger to try and draft up some past events.. Have a look. It is really interesting (at least, it is to me..). The pictures that you see are the images that are being posted up onto blogger in real time. The slide show goes on forever! It will never stop! At least till the people at blogger decided to take it off the web. Or, when people all over the world just stop posting pictures onto their blogs. Heh. Click on any image and a new window will pop up, showing you the public blog which the image was posted on.

Have fun with the new distraction!
http://play.blogger.com/

P.s.: Image in this post was taken from here. Cheers!

amazing time clock

2007-08-29T13:34:00.000+10:00

This is just one of those things that I get on my mail, but I find this really interesting. So thought of sharing it with you.. Click on the link below and have a look..

http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf

lunar eclipse drive

2007-08-29T11:45:00.000+10:00

I did my very first night driving last night with Ken, my driving instructor. As it turns out, it was a rare total lunar eclipse night. What a treat!

This picture is of course taken off the net.. But it really did looked just like this.. Orangey, yellow, with a tinge of pink. Beautiful!

The clouds were covering the moon initially, but somehow they parted and we managed to catch a glimpse of it when we did a stop over at Possum Bay before heading back home. The radio was reporting the event live and when we finally saw the moon, people started to call in to the radio station too. Great fun! I drove for almost two hours. Because of the exceptionally bright moon, it did not feel all that scary driving at night.

More on the lunar eclipse event clink on the links below. Cheers!
http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,22320808-3462,00.html
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/OH2007.html

face up

2007-08-08T23:48:00.000+10:00

Have you ever wondered how you can help to make the world a better place? What can you do to help erase poverty from the face of the planet. Well. It's tough. But, we must face it, deal with it, and to keep hoping.

Making Poverty History is creating Australia's largest photo petition and you can be part of it! This is one petition where you can show one of the most powerful leaders and the rest of the world that you want poverty to end and that you will even put your face in to make it happen! It is about time that we make our leaders of this world to face up to the pressing social issues of poverty..

As what Robert Kee had written is his book; Who Is My Neighbour? (2004):
"Poverty is suffering physically, emotionally and spiritually on a daily basis!"

How can you even sit on by and not do something? So come on, take a picture and send it in. It is really the least that we can do.

singapore nite

2007-08-05T18:57:00.000+10:00

Went to Singapore Night last night. Glad that all my friends were at the same table.
Karin, Yushi and her housemate, Sherwin, Jo, Desmond, Wei Sheng, Anthony and Flora.
Anna, Sue May, Daniel Teoh, Wai Yan, Jason, Shin Yee, Zee Hame and Nick were there too. Some are there ushering, others were there performing. And we did a little promotion for OCF's biggest event of the year, the E-Nite production: JACK. Shaun and Dyan thought of cooking for me, thinking that I was not going to the event. I thought that it was really sweet of them to remember me... :-)

I wore my less-sexy-black-chongsum to the dinner. Good thing I did not wear the yellow one. Heh.. And my boots gave me a rather modern look. *grin. Flora won best dress! Yeah.. so happy for her! We clapped the loudest when they annouced the winner.

The night went by like a breeze.. Maybe because we were all enjoying every moment of it. We took lots of pictures. But I did not take any. I was lazy, did not bring my bulky SLR.. So you just have to wait till my dear friends remember to send me their copies. For now, here's a pic taken from Karin's camera of all the cute and very pretty gals at our table. No, I'm not going to tell you who's who... :-P

good ol tv entertainment

2007-08-01T23:39:00.000+10:00

What happened to those good old, entertaining tv programs? Where are those well-thought lines and pretty costumes?
Here's a clip on Jackson 5's appearence on The Carol Burnett Show. Truly, this is entertainment!
Everything, down to the positioning, and duration was planned such that it will look good and feel good on our tv screens.
Check out the hairdo and the cute little girl near the end of the clip.. :-)
Notably, at the end of the clip, this is what the host said: "... fight against pollution begins with you and I, so let's do something about it... "

the new black

2007-07-30T20:27:00.000+10:00

Check this out.

Blackle is created by Toby Heap (Sydney, Australia). The site was inspired by a post past January on the blog ecoIron, where writer: Mark Ontkush claimed that if Google went all-black, it could save 750 megawatt-hours a year (a megawatt-hour is one million watt-hours; you can convert these to each other and other energy units here).

According to this site, it doubts that you can save much energy. But, it is still a pretty interesting concept.

thumbs exchange

2007-07-26T18:33:00.000+10:00

Can't believe that I had actually lost my precious thumb drive!
i was in a hurry to get to class and had left it dangling on a public computer in school. AUGH.
But God is good right? He gave me another one. Heh..
Found one stranded on another computer. Haaa.
This is actually the third one that I had found...
Somehow it feels like our thumb drives are on some secret exchange-owners-program. Hmmm.

Well. I know. I should return it. Afterall, I lost mine too and knows exactly how it feels like to lose a big chunk of your precious documents.. plus my resume, CV.. etc.. all my most intimate details inside..

So, why won't people just send me mine back? Since obviously they will be able to get my details from those very obviously named documents inside. That was how I found find out who's thumb drive I found too.

I suppose we are all forgetful and people are sometimes not as giving as you hope the world would be.. I had decided to keep the 'new' thumbie, in replacement of my ex-precious thumbie. Hmm. This makes it sound not as precious anymore.. Ermm.. Anyway. Whoever found mine, lucky you. My thumbie worked hard and had served me real well. Please take care of it.. And don't worry Hayley, your thumb drive is doing pretty good and is getting along just fine with Alfred (my laptop)..

childfriendly.org.au

2007-07-24T00:20:00.000+10:00

Here's an ad now showing in Australia that really hit the punch in your face.
You most probably have seen people presenting these common behaviours. Perhaps you yourself is guilty of doing the same too. But, just look at the kids shadowing the adults.. Not pretty at all.

Indeed.
Children see. Children do.

Think about it. We are accountable for our actions and speeches.. Would we want the future to become an even more hostile place to live?

http://childfriendly.org.au

Rain and windshield wipers

2007-07-23T17:51:00.000+10:00

This is an email that I have received just today.. I find it kind of meaningful and yet so simple and true. Sometimes it takes a child to point out the most obvious 'logic', where adults are just too blinded by the things around them... Enjoy.

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick.

Suddenly, my daughter, Aspen, spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. "Dad, I'm thinking of something."

This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered I was eager to hear.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

"The rain!" she began, "is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away."

After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond. "That's really good, Aspen."

Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take this revelation? So I asked... "Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?"

Aspen didn't hesitate one moment with her answer: "We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us."

I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.

In order to see the Rainbow, you must first endure some Rain.
Hope the water flows when you get the picture.

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.

Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

two weeks in singapore

2007-07-16T17:10:00.001+10:00

To tell you the truth, I did not have a great time back in Singapore. First, I had a bad case of heat rash. As Hobart was just about to get into gear for winter when I left. The sudden change in weather and all the dust from moving house, made me red all over. Here's my mom trying to figure out what she needs to bring over (when actually I think she should be thinking what she have to part with and throw or give them away!)

Due to my mom's crazy move house schedule, we were not given any time to go through the items at all. Everything must be out of the old house and items that are considered to be essential or valuable are being shoved into the new place (not much of a diff. right? the new place is just as messy!). On top of that, the new place do not have lights fitted in yet. So we had to shower with torchlight for a couple of days. Clothes that were washed had to be embarassingly hanged over our nice balcony as the clothes hanging device is not done yet. Most annoying thing was, the new house is way way smaller than our previous one. The wardrobe in the room that I'm sharing with Eli is not even enough to fit her own clothes, let alone mine! (*Grumble). Well, what can I say right? It's my parents' house, and maybe this is their way of "driving us out"..

And what luck. The only fishes that I ever saw, were these ones in the tanks at a shopping mall. As my friends K and D were both unable to make the trip that I so so want to have. *Sigh. My only solaces were Aa before he left for Korea, Mav. who had 'housed' me for a night, and the swimming pool.

I've met up with a few other friends, and it is comforting to know that they missed talking to me. And when I go back to Singapore (if I ever go back...), somehow I have the assurance that at least I won't be jobless.. Ha. Still, this trip home had made me pretty low in spirit as there were too many issues going on - the new smaller house, grandma, , my emotionally troubled friends, aa and his family, money and my future plans.. etc.. There were moments when I wish I could stay a little longer, to be with them. Yet other times, I felt relieved that I am only there for such a short while. For although my friends and grandma made me feel wanted/needed in Singapore, there is nothing else that makes me want to stay further.. In Singapore, I am like a goldfish in the fish bowl. Small, naked and no where to go..

I left Singapore with three big bags of stuff. I don't know when will I come back here again.. Or, perhaps I just don't want to think..

visiting grandma

2007-06-29T19:58:00.000+10:00

I've just been to the nursing home to visit my grandma... somehow I just know that I will not be able to hold my tears back... yeap.. I cried.. and when my grandma saw us, she moaned and teared too... I think she could still recognise me..

I feel sad that we have to leave her there.. and she's upset that we're leaving her behind everytime we go and visit... but we really can't take care of her at home... :-(

It's so upsetting, I don't even know what to ask her or tell her... I can't make her more comfortable, nor grant her wish of letting her go home... The tv is right in front of her bed, but she can't even watch it.. as it is not placed facing her direction... And TV used to be her source of day time entertainment.. and now that's being taken away from her too... My heart is totally crushed. I miss her so much... I miss her talking, and nagging at me, and to just have a meal together.. I miss holding her hand and walking side by side with her.. Despite the obvious, that she's not going to get any better, I still hope and really pray that she will, somehow...

the pursuit of happyness

2007-06-23T14:48:00.000+10:00

Hmmmm... Seems like I have not written any thoughts on any recent movies. Well, this movie: The Pursuit of Happyness, turns out to be pretty nice. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure lots of you have watched it.. I just did, okie..

And I must say that it hit me a fair bit. I mean, the movie is great, not to mention to chemistry between the obviously talented father (Will Smith) and his very own potentially talented son (Christopher, is by the way his real middle name too). The story reminded me of the days when I have not a single cent to my name or my pocket, though, I still have my parents' home to go to. And all I have then, was a bare hope and faith that everything will come through to a greener pasture...

You have got to keep hoping and work towards making the dream come true.. Conversely, that dream can only be made in the hopes that things will turn the other way and shine onto you..

So. Be positive. And keep smiling..

take a look into the side windows

2007-06-22T14:38:00.000+10:00

Not sure how often do you guys play around with the side windows on this blog.. but did you know that there are actually tons of good stuff hidden in there? Like this, is the quotation for today, which I feel is such wise words. They are so, so true, and STILL very applicable to this very day...

Quotation of the Day

Experience teaches that Man are often so much governed by what they are accustomed to see and practice, that the simplest and most ovious improvements, in the most ordinary occupations, are adopted with hesitation, reluctance and by slow gradations. Men would resist changes, so long as even a bare support could be ensured by adherence to ancient courses, and perhaps even longer.

- Alexander Hamilton (1755 - 1804)

Free content provided by The Free Dictionary

And the latest, and probably the coolest addition i have done inside the side windows is a new online chat box! So whenever you come to this blog and see me around, you can chat with me right here.. Haha!
Where to find the chat box? (or some might call it a chat window..) ... FIND it yourself! Wahahaha... It won't be fun if I were to tell you where everything on this blog is. It's all about exploration and clicking of unexpected links... And leave a message on the chat box if possible, so that I know you've found it and that it is working... One BIG clue - I always make it easy for people... ;-)

Think it's cool? Get one for your Blog, Friendster or MySpace... I love Meebo! Especially whenever I'm at school... heh... :-)

Chat with you all soon!

unhappy?

2007-06-21T13:59:00.001+10:00

http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/

There are often many unhappy and unpleasant things that happens or goes on around our lives. By writing it out or talking to someone, it can help to release our inner turmoils or struggles.. But sometimes, I would rather not write or talk about it.. For, if I were to pen those negative thoughts into words, I feel that I am making it becoming more 'real'. Those who reads them, or listens to me whine, might get affected too.. And those unhappy thoughts will be kept in my memory longer.. Unless it bothers me so much that it affects my daily functioning, I would rather toss them out of the window after processing it in the brain till I can't process anymore, and hopefully, it'll just blow over. Or I will only bring it up when I have figured out a way to phrase the 'drama' such that it has a somewhat hollywood ending...

Issues that affects more people - environmental, social, cultural, global issues etc., Are things that I can't just toss out though. It saddens me alot, and I have so much that I want to say. But I figured that there are more people out there who are more capable and more vocal in projecting my sentiments.. So.. blog more people.

post exam feelings

2007-06-21T13:21:00.000+10:00

Hmmm... I think... I did average this semester.. Did not do my very best.. Though I did try..

When I finish my paper yesterday, it feels good and bad. Bad: cause I kept feeling that I did not write enough of what I know, and I wonder if I had answered the questions...

Good: What the heck! It's officially over- the point of no return... So I should be happy.. Don't want to think about it anymore, and just enjoy myself first... Ha. Let me feel the pinch only when I get my results back... (God Bless me... Please...) Good or bad, I leave it to God to decide, though, I do hope that He'll be merciful to me...

I am so looking forward to the next couple of weeks. Looking forward to going home, moving to the new house, seeing my friends again, and eat yum yum food... Not to mention DIVING! Wahahahaha...

Aa and I will be going to Sydney to do some SHOPPING and EATING! Then to Canberra where he'll be bringing me around. Then after, we'll be going back to Singapore. Two days after that, Aa will be flying to Korea to play soccer, while I go for my long awaited dive (sounds of soothing waves in my ears).. Back to Singapore, say my farewells (again).. And I'll be back here slogging again... I guess that's life eh... Guess that's why I like to have things to look forward to..

new way of loaning money

2007-06-13T13:18:00.000+10:00

Have you guys heard anything about this yet?

It is a new way of helping the poor, by loaning money, minus the middlemen.

If you have the money and you have the desire to help the poor, you can loan money through this website to anyone who is in need of 'ka-chings' ...

I have no idea how this will work and work to see results, or work to change the world.. But, it's nonetheless, one of the unusual things that are happening in virtual world...

See it for yourself at:
http://www.kiva.org/

going home

2007-06-12T14:13:00.000+10:00

Going home is such a hassle. Apart from me thinking about my exams right now, I have to go around checking prices for tickets to go home and make sure that I can come back in time before the next school term... And, going home does not mean that I'll be having a holi-good time.. As I've previously experienced - it can be hell busy...

Things that I need to do when I'm back:
- go Dive probably with Dimas
- see a Dentist?
- visit Grandma
- move House
- meet up with K's sis
- should I work for GL or Inno, hmmm?
- surprise GL on his birthday! Yeah...shhh donch tell him.. ;-)
- play with my new laptop (Muahahha)
- is the great Singapore sale still on?
- meet up with Mav, Elsie and others...
- learn to make my own earrings from Mav!

If only I have more time to spare.... ... ... .. . . .

pork roast leg.. heh

2007-05-28T12:07:00.001+10:00

Mr Aa injured his ankle during a friendly game with some uni boys here. Apparently, one of the players was a bit too rough. He slided and clammed Aa's ankle with both feet, causing Aa to over-extend his already bad ankle, sending him southward to the ground. His toes went from pink to blue and his ankle blew up to look exactly like a pig's trotter.

When he got home, we did not have a ice pack. So I've placed the bag of wedges on the ankle instead. When the wedges became warm, we used the bag of prawns. Thank God for frozen, processed food and freezers!

The injury got me more worried when the swelling did not reside and it's becoming abit blue-ish (bruise). Recalling from what happened to Grandma before, I insisted that we go to get an x-ray. Thanks to Brian and Dyan, who drove us there. X-ray did not reveal any problems with his bones. So, that leaves just the soft tissues, which will take awhile to heal.

To speed up the process, we went to see Maria whom I've met early this year, for acupuncture treatment. the swell disappeared the next day. But not the pain, but at lease he can now walk :P

It is in times like this, that I'm reminded again how important making connections with people are such a necessity, especially when you are new to a place and far from 'home' ... Thank God for good and kind people around us..

my first driving lesson

2007-05-22T20:20:00.000+10:00

Well, what do you know... I had my very first driving lesson yesterday.. My instructor is Ken (short-form for Kenneth) and he's a patient old guy.

Mmm, I must say, I'm pretty proud of myself. Though I did make some pretty nasty mistakes, but come on, that's expected, right? My changing of gears was smooth, but I have trouble gauging the distance on the left.. my turns were too wide, sometimes.. and I can't find the third gear, as I always end up putting the gear into the fifth... heh...

Nevertheless, it was not as nerve-racking as I'd thought. Ken even let me drive on the main road. It was fun. I did sped a little, but Ken was like "as long as you can control the car, going fast is fine". Hah, don't be fooled, the fastest I went that day was only 45km/h, maybe 50... the third gear was as far as Ken allows me to go.

Next Tuesday is going to be my next lesson. Hope that I can keep it up and that Ken can help to correct my mistakes and make me a good driver of the future... Not that I want to drive all the time.. But a driver that drives well. Anyway, you know what I mean.. :-)

somebody come and play

2007-05-13T15:38:00.000+10:00

Originally sung by Lois Winter, Ana Isa Otis, Clyde Otis, Jr., Althea Jackson, Todd Graff, Tom Spiro, Andrea Giglio, and Christine Winter (as kids, of course). This same group of kids also recorded the first version of the theme song and the “Five Song” as well.

ARTIST: Joe Raposo

TITLE: Somebody Come and Play

Lyrics and Chords
[Sesame Street]

Somebody come and play

Somebody come and play today

Somebody come and smile the smiles

And sing the songs, it won't take long

Somebody come and play today

/ Gmaj7 C Gmaj7 C / Gmaj7 C G7 - / Cmaj7 G Am7 G / /

/ Cmaj7 - Am7 C Gmaj7 C Gmaj7 C /

Somebody come and play...

Somebody come and rhyme the rhymes

And laugh the laughs, it won't take time / Somebody...

{Bridge}

Somebody come with me and see the pleasure in the wind

Somebody come before it gets too late to begin

/ C C/B Am7 C G C G G7 / C C/B Am7 - Fmaj7 C - D7 /

Somebody... / Somebody come and be my friend

And watch the sun 'til it rains again / Somebody...

Somebody... / Somebody come and smile the smiles

And sing the songs, it won't take long

La la la la la la la la

{Bridge}

Somebody... / Somebody come and be my friend

And watch the sun 'til it rains again / Somebody...

Info taken from: http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/somebod1.htm
and http://members.tripod.com/Tiny_Dancer/play.html

Ps: Happy Birthday Shaun Ewe! Thank you for being such an angel ~~ :)

biosphere 2

2007-05-11T13:29:00.000+10:00

Man have always been very curious creatures.
We try to be God, so as to understand how God makes the world 'tick' ... So a bunch of scientists, where else but in the deserts of USA, had attempted to create a man-made 'world' - Biosphere 2

Biospere 2 comprises of all the world's ecosystems. And have all kinds of plants and animals living in it. From deserts to tropical rainforest... Ayway

The story goes that they tried to place people inside.. to test if humans can survive in the 'perfect, and controlled' man-man environment of the world... Needless to say, the experiment failed. And now it's become a tourist attraction... See for yourself.

http://www.biospheres.com/ - official website
http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/apr/stories/bios2.html - more condensed version
http://www.bio2.com/ - for touring information

a society that do not listen

2007-05-11T12:43:00.000+10:00

You know, I was walking to school today with my new toy - a Creative MP3 player that Aa bought for me as a birthday present. I couldn't help but notice that almost everyone who were waiting at the traffic light with me this morning were all tuning in to their favourite music...

Seems like we are developing very individualistic behaviours and preferances to me... But on top of that, are we also creating a society that no longer listens to our surroundings and the people around us as well? People that do not stop to smell the roses or hear the chirpings of birds in the morning no more?

Are we shutting ourselves out by stuffing a pair of earphones into our ears to block out all forms of contact/connections?

Picture taken from here which also happened to have a very insightful post on "the ipod generation" ...

my birth

2007-05-07T11:36:00.000+10:00

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me... Happy birthday, happy birthday... Happy birthday to me... Almost forgotten to take a picture of the cake.. heh.

It was a pleasantly obvious surprise, a couple of friends came over to my place with a cake yesterday..

And on top of that - I got a second-hand car and made a new friend (the previous car owner - Peter) that day too..

All's great and dandy. let's hope that it lasts throughout the year.. Heh.. :-)

cultivating coffee drinkers

2007-04-13T21:51:00.000+10:00

I'm beginning to feel that universities are really a school of coffee drinking cultivation. Not only am I drinking more coffee, I'm throwing in more caffine into my system to keep me going and saint. Not that it is all a bad thing, at least, there are lots of scholarly papers that supports the theory of having a cuppa a day is totally acceptable, and in fact makes you a more efficient worker!

I like coffee. With less milk. Bitter sweet. The aroma alone can awaken one's spirit. The world changed a fair bit because of these humble beans. It had allowed Man to discuss about politics soberly, and encouraged trades, including human trades and war.

It creates an environment for interaction and conversation.. In a way, you can say that it is a 'Scholarly breverage' in the Western world. But, few would remember where the beans originated from or how and who grew them. Some coffee farmers might not even be able to buy any more beans to grow these days, if not for schemes such as Fair Trade that is helping to give back what the farmers deserves... Think about it. It is no longer just a simple breverage, but a social and political issue behind each cup of coffee...

first bbq

2007-04-12T14:49:00.000+10:00

Held my very fist BBQ party at my new place with Sherwin, Zeehame, Anna, Shin Yee, Nick and Steve. That's Hame's freshly shaven head by the way.. haaa.. Very Cooool...

We had such a fun time. Hope that we can have another one some time... :-)

easter camp 4th to 6th april 2007

2007-04-09T13:22:00.000+10:00

Ah. The positive energies that bounces off people from going away, and engaged in encouraging and constructive conversations/ discussions in camps... The campsite is at Kingsholm and I'm in team PEACE.. We basically did all the usual stuff - play games, eat together, sermons, sleep (if any), etc.

In addition to all that, it is an Overseas Christian Fellowship (OCF) camp custom to play the game, Angel/Mortal. Unfortunately (or rather very fortunately), there are more guys than girls this year. And so the committee took it upon themselves, that the committee girls will take care of two mortals instead. That means we will have two angels too. Okie okie, confused? The games is as such: each camper will have an angel that will bless you or spoil you silly throughout the camp. At the same time, you will have a mortal to take care of; you being the Angel to that mortal. Only at the end of the camp will the Angel/Mortal be revealed. So, throughout the camp, you can do whatever you can think of to bless your mortal or if you can, your Angel too, while trying to lure out who your own Angel is...

As it turns out, one of my mortals is my team leader: Sherwin! and the other was Clive, someone whom I've not met before. Dyan and I had also adopted another Mortal: Sze Tat, as his Angel will not appear till the second day of the camp..

Lots of funny moments happened between Sherwin and I, him not knowing that I am actually his Angel, Bee Qung and I managed to fool him into believing that Bee is his real Angel. This is my favourite moment, Sherwin ordered a cup of coffee and had asked to have his Angel pay for it. And so, I did, and on top of that, I've ordered all the varieties of coffee available for him from Zeehame (the coffee art-artist) to be delivered all at once. After all 6 cups of coffee, he did not ask for anything more. He had stayed with his housemate, Zeehame for so long, he had never even had that much coffee at any one go before.

And you know what? Jason (the Camp Commandant), and Zeehame happened to be my Angels. It is wonderful being pampered by people. Especially when you're being pampered by people that knows you! I received the blessings with glee, while others can only look on enviously.. Heh. So, to be fair, I did spend lots of $$ to try and make everyone feel blessed too.. In Shaun's wise words: "everyone's my Mortal, and I will bless everyone!"

Not knowing who my Angels and Mortals could be, I fear that the presents that I've prepared will not be appropriate for them. Thence, when I learnt who they are and how perfect (almost) the presents are, it brought forth a great sense of joy! Knowing that Zeehame's my Angel, I'm extremely glad that the book I bought will be appreciated, it's perfect for him! I gave Jason a bar of Mocha Chocolate - think he'll need it anyway, after the camp. And I gave my Mortals; Sze Tat a uniquely designed can of coke, him being the cook for the camp. Sherwin, a monkey soft toy, which suits him real fine, as he likes baby milo too. Heaven Chocolate for Clive, sweetnees that pours from the Angel who don't know what to give him for Easter... heh. Great fun! :-)

connect-i-n-g

2007-03-19T13:02:00.000+11:00

Hi all... As you would have seen in my previous post - My new place is pretty spacious and nice. The best part is that it is right in the middle of the two campuses that I have to go to, PLUS, it's very close to the shops.

BUT - unfortunately, I can't get the phone line connected. I tried. Went to the shop twice only to learn that the phone line in my place is shared with my neighbour! As you can see in the picture, my place is the left side half of the house (semi-detatch?). AUGH... No phone line means no internet...

This will take awhile to sort out. If I want a line on my side of the house, I might have to pay for the telephone company to come in and re-do the wires. IT'S BLOODY EXPENSIVE (AUS$200+)! So, I am hoping that I can catch my landlord and sound him out. If he's willing to pay, then good. If not... SIGH, I don't know if I wanna continue staying there or make do... No more internet calls, no more web conferences, no more youtube... More time will be spent travelling to and fro schools in order to do online searches, reply emails and no downloads... It might not be all that bad, but it sure does makes me annoyed.

home

2007-03-13T17:11:00.000+11:00

Sorry that it took so long. I've officially moved into this place about a month ago, but the cleaning and unpacking is still on-going. Connecting the phone line, internet, getting rid of the scary spiders and horrible ants... trim the backyard and vacumm the carpet... the list seems never-ending. By the time I finish doing one, I have to bring the trash out already, and clean the bedsheets, and I have to vacumm the carpet again... Man.. Time flies.

The place is really nice, albeit abit old, I still love it. Situated at the mid-point of both campuses, I can walk to either one in about 25min. Not only that, now I can enjoy grocery shopping with ease. I can go home and drop my school stuff first and I no longer am fearful of not being able to catch the bus home, cause, I don't need to anymore! I can even stroll over and buy snacks at midnight! Muahahahaa... Plus, the attic can double as a guest room, or my study room... With two fire places in the house, winter should be easy to get by. Possible future BBQ in the backyard... bring-your-own-plate, cup or chair party... mmmm ... On top of all that, the landlord is super nice. God is good to me... :P

From left to right:
1. house from outside (only the left half, mind you),
2. main door
3. kitchen,
4. doors to the toilet and backyard
5. laundry cum toilet area,
6. backyard

Pictures of the bedroom, attic and living room have been omitted from this post.. Cheers.

relieve

2007-01-30T20:48:00.000+11:00

It had been a pretty hard day for me. I went to town to see if I can get any air ticket back home. Due to the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday - the prices have gone so high, and it seems like getting any return tickets are just as impossible..

News finally came at about 4pm (1pm Singapore time). Apparently, grandma's alright... the doctors had concluded that she was having low blood sugar, thus it had affected her from functioning normally. However, due to the delay of the dignosis (them presuming that she had a stroke in the brain etc.. I don't know all the medical terms), her condition may not improve. BUT at least, she'll get to see my graduation photo [I hope]. :-)

She had lose her mobility. The only thing that she can still move is her eyelids, and she'll have to be fed through the tube. We're all just relieved that she's still with us...

where is doctor house?

2007-01-28T13:36:00.001+11:00

Grandma is hospitalised. Initially they thought that she had a stroke... Now, the doctors are not sure of the cause... Hope that she'll get to go home soon...

a stroke of misfortune

2007-01-26T19:21:00.001+11:00

... mom called and had sis to deliver the very bad news...
something happened to my grandma during their sleep... a stroke...
... leaving her paralysed in bed, unable to move or call for help...
... she was found still laying in bed by my brother the following morning...
They called an ambulence... It might have been too late...
... ... we're told to prepare for the worse ...

lust - cambodia

2007-01-26T00:42:00.000+11:00

I'm not a good writer. And so I strongly advice that you click the link below and read about it and view the videos. It is sad and depressing. I wished that I could have made it better, but I now hope that more people can be aware and help make things happen for these young souls.

It is a vicious cycle that can be broken, a society that can be changed. Dispite the immense amount of aids, funds and physical help given, the situation or issues are still largely undealt with. These issues should not be viewed only on the surface, which people are so prone of doing. Give money and all bad things will go away. Save them from their plight and they will be able to make a better life. I personally believe that it is more important to understand the 'network' of circumstances that had resulted to these problems. And work out an array of possible chances of change in all levels to slowly turn the situation for the better.

Cambodians are wonderful people and it is a beautiful place to visit. So please, take some time, learn the truth and have a heart, and say a prayer for them before you go to bed...

CNN World News - Girl, 6, embodies Cambodia's sex industry

seeking for a home

2007-01-25T23:26:00.000+11:00

If you are wondering why I've not been writing... well.. I was really busy... Bit by bit, I will pen them here (back-dated of course) what I had been doing. But it's just going to take a while longer, as I'm still busy.. What am I busy with this time? Ha!

I'm hunting for my home. Significantly, this is something that I'm looking forward to. Finally having a place all to myself! A place that I can do whatever I want and that I can truely call my home. However, searching for a place is tough. Prices have gone up this year and accomodations near the uni are obviously on a higher demand. But, my fingers are still crossed. Don't wanna disappoint my dear friends that might be visiting me in the near future with a crappy house/villa/apartment/unit, whatever. Ideals are obviously beyond reality. Expectations are definately challenging possiblities. Anyways..

I've asked a couple of friends for advice on what to look out for. "Go to a trusty agent. Make sure that you have all the relavant paper documents, present yourself as someone who's reliable, financially sound, keen on renting long term and finally, when you inspect the place, you need to feel good about it. Check that the place is clean and talk to the neighbours."

Whatever it is, I'm going to the agencies tomorrow. Keep your fingers cross for me please, and if you are thinking about visiting me, all the more pray that I get a nice place. wahahha...

Later..

2006-12-18T12:36:00.001+11:00

akan datang - busy rite now... thanks :)

my results this year

2006-12-01T09:17:00.000+11:00

Exam results for, 04816-.

Unit Code	Unit Title	Sem	Mark	Result
FST201	Australian Art of the 1970s - 2000	1	68	Credit
KGA161	Global Geographies of Change 1A	1	48	Terminating Pass
KHA101	Psychology 1A	1	58	Pass
FST213	Contemporary Art of the Asia-Pacific Region	2	63	Credit
KGA162	Sustaining Global Environments 1A	2	70	Distinction
KHA102	Psychology 1B	2	55	Pass

Am suprise that I got a distinction for Geography actually. But then again, as it really stressed me out the previous time, I've deliborately made the extra effort to make sure that I do better.. I know that the result is not all fantastic, but hey, at least I pass - that's what I hoped for in the first place. So, getting a credit is sweet. A distiction is a bonus that I've never dreamed of.. But now that it is acheived, my credits now seem insignificant and had somehow had raise the bar...

Anyway, thank you all for your kind words of encouragement and advice. Thank you too for those who had said a prayer for me.. :-)

deca's birthday

2006-11-30T23:00:00.000+11:00

Today is Deca, Brian's pet cat's birthday. Kim baked a really special muffin for the birthday boy and below is a clip of the celebration. All eyes were on the star, but he's pretty shy for such a charming cat 'nya. Happy Birthday Deca, you've got yourself a real good owner this time.

canon rock

2006-11-03T11:32:00.000+11:00

hey bro,
I found one that can compete with your mario guy! Way cool man...
With 10,413,134 views and 22226 comments on the video and still climbing.. He rocks!

View the actual clip here on youtube... what will I do without youtube.. heh .. :P

love

2006-11-02T11:19:00.000+11:00

"Natasha, to love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But, then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer, to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love, to be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy, therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness, I hope you're getting this down." --- Woody Allen (from Love and Death)

snow in spring

2006-10-28T12:30:00.003+11:00

It was snowing at my place last night. Stacey and I were so delighted, we went outside and stood there for a while, just gazing at the fluffy things fall... Strange thing was. It's spring time, yet it's snowing??!? We did not even have a single drop during winter.. hmmm..

Anyway the weather today is no better. It was sunny then gloomy and rainy, then now it's pouring hail... Something's going on... mmm..

Good thing I stayed home.. heh .. :-P

Oh, and by the way, Happy Birthday Aa.. :)
Hope you have a blast!!!

conversations

2006-10-26T17:21:00.000+11:00

You know, I've not stepped out of this space for almost a week now. And yesterday was the first day that I've actually spoken to someone. It felt really weird, like I don't know how to put my words together and speak it out properly. Strangely, I never realised this till yesterday. But I did not feel any sense of detachment or that I have not been 'active'. As all the while as I'm starring at this very screen, typing away, on my assignments, 'talking' to people online and watching anime, my mind is constantly having conversations. Thinking, forming words in my mind, putting them into actions in order for the sentences to appear in front of me.. It's a somewhat surreal feeling.. I don't think it's a bad one, just that it's mind-buggingly calming...

ikea interactive

2006-10-24T23:08:00.000+11:00

This is so good that I just have to show it to you...

Swedish design shop; Forsman & Bodenfors
created this IKEA site.

Takes a while to load.. But it's all worth it! ;-)
Enjoy...

yayoi kusama

2006-10-23T01:30:00.000+11:00

Wise words from an old insane artist:

"Think of breathing. You have to breathe so many times, and it's actually kind of a nuisance. Or food. Think if you saw all in one space the food you eat during a whole lifetime, how terrifying it would be, that you are eating your way through all that, and that you have to go on, every day, and eat. And drink. For me, I have so many further things like that, so many compulsions." Later, she explained, "I feel as if I am driving on an endless highway until my death. It is like continuing to drink thousands of cups of coffee served in an automatic cafeteria. I will continue to desire and, at the same time, to escape all sorts of feelings and visions until the end of my days. Whether I want to or not I cannot stop living and yet I cannot escape from death. The consciousness of living in continuation sometimes drives me crazy. It makes me sick before and after my work. On the other hand, I am terrified by the obsession crawling over my body whether it came from within me or from outside..."

"...It was not so simple, not so easy to come up with this way of living that I've had. I was given a sad life by fate, but I think I won a happy life. . . Not one day has passed when I didn't think of suicide, but I'm very glad to be alive now. Most people are so preoccupied with their illness, sickness, and they live a very ordinary life. I was so involved and so engrossed with painting, and knew from my childhood that it could help me to overcome unhappiness..."

A litte bit about her...
Born in 1929, Yayoi Kusama is amongst the most highly acclaimed artists in Japan. Since the age of 10, she had been creating her famous polka dots and netlike motifs. These repetitive patterns are so significant in her works that critics and curators have often associated them with her mental condition to try and explain her work. The fact is Kusama had never made her mental condition a big secret. Instead, she had allowed it to take centre stage in her artistic life. She embraced it and had repeatedly proclaimed that her illness was the major driving force in her art. No wonder rumours went around that her "mental illness" was merely a publicity stunt.

Kusama was first diagnosis of suffering from schizophrenia by Japanese psychiatrist Shiho Nishimaru in 1952. Then, in 1977, due to numerous negative life events while she was living in the United States, she had admitted herself into a mental hospital in Tokyo. Few knew the intensity of her loneliness and depression when she was living in America. Let alone, what kind of possible trauma, she could have endured during the troubled times of war in her teenage years, when she worked in a military parachute factory. Recently, Kusama's illness had been re-assessed. In accordance with the current findings, she was suffering from migraine aura experiences, anxiety, and depression. These may account for all known facts of her medical history as well as for the imagery of her artistic universe of dots, nets and accumulations. Thus, it is true that she is 'crazy'. Yet, amazingly, she had used this condition to her advantage and effectively utilised it to distinguish global issues of her time. Her obsessive and imperative desire to engulf everything in her works is a statement that speaks fervently of her desire to relieve herself while, at the same time to allow people to relate to her thoughts. Therefore, her works will always be a reflection of her condition and her constant battle with her inner self. It is part of her life; hence, it is to be an inseparable part in her art as well - to become obsessively obliterated infinitely.

(References were removed from text)

If you are interested to know more about her, go to her pretty neat official website
Some additional stuff. This clip is not in English but may be a good introduction to her works.
And this is an audio interview that you can listen to.

ramen

2006-10-19T19:12:00.001+11:00

Nothing much.
Just didn't want to start working on my last assignment.
So ended up watching some Japanese cartoon and they kept talking about ramen!
So here's an interesting site that has got the weirdest combi of how to eat ramen! *hungry...

For better information about Japanese food, think this would be more helpful... Ta!

tulips in my room

2006-10-16T19:39:00.000+11:00

They had bloomed so beautifully that I had to show you... Spring.. Warmth.. Colours..

wah cow

2006-10-15T21:37:00.000+11:00

Cow (of cos not his real name) is one of my very best mates in my little life. He had just came to visit me amids all my crazy assignments. How delighted am I to finally see him after such a long time! He's still the same old cow that I knew. Well, maybe wiser, older, but still the same Cow... Crazy, corny and have always been pretty much a perfectionist and idealist.

I am really happy to finally have someone who is willing to go crazy with me. I haven't had anyone to do that with for a long while. Someone to enjoy the sun in the outdoors and talk about life plainly. Someone to chat about the good old times and have a cup of cocoa under the stars while braving the wind.

Although Cow had specifically told me that he wants the hills and water, everything that we did this weekend was all in the spur of a moment. We called Leigh up and the very next day, we're out buswalking up the 1,270m (~4,000 feet) Mt Wellington. The day started nice and sunny, then it began to get kind of wet, but it didn't dampen our high spirit at all. As we're in good company. And we are just simply enjoying every moment of it. It felt like all our troubles have suddenly gone beyond the clouds.

After conquering the hill, we went to the weekend market and had lunch at the waterfront. Then salad came to mind, so we went grocery shopping and walked home to make our salad. We had such a great day that we just slept in and only woke up at midnight. We took a while to decide on what to cook, but everything that we had for dinner that 'morning' was beautiful. In cow's own words: 'Such comfort food... It's sooo yummy!' :-P

There's absolutely no reason to rush things. Why rush to embrace simplicity? Thus, we started our day late today. We went to Mummy's for brunch, but somehow, it felt incomplete. So we called for a cab and headed for Long Beach where we took a nice walk by the waves and bought some pizzas from the Sandy Bay Wood Fire Pizza place.

I don't get why good things must come to an end, but I do understand how good times always flies.. Cow left this evening, but I'm very certain that despite the distance, our friendship will remain ever stong and that we'll meet again in no time - more good times to come, good things do not need an end! It is truely a blessing to have a wonderful friend like Cow. And such a joy that I don't have to pretend, or be wary of my language when I talk to him. I can wake up with hair all messy and still feel fine to be seen that way. I'm grateful for these special people in my life...

And I hope that I had been a good blessing to him too. That he had found peace during his stay here. Discovered joy in the simple things again. Uncovered his passions, realised his true callings and had sorted his directions that he wish to persue... In all the craziness that life throws at us, I'm elated that we had paused time and had embraced a moment together.

This one's for you, Cow! Take Care... And keep smiling!

"A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world." ~ Lois Wyse

more bushfires

2006-10-13T17:14:00.000+11:00

Actually, this bushfire across the bridge started not too long after the one behind my place.. but I guess the authorities decided to clear here first, since it's nearer to lots of residential houses, plus a school nearby. Here are some amazing bushfire pics that Ade sent me.. Looked fantastic and beautiful.. Hmmm... is that a bad thought?

`No hope' in bushfire fight
Tasmania's top firefighter said the State faced the worst weather conditions in up to 40 years yesterday as bushfires threatened homes in the South.

Tasmania Fire Service chief officer John Gledhill said the worst fire started at Risdon Vale on the Eastern Shore.

"I've never had a situation as dramatic as what we've had today," he said.

Weather conditions were atrocious for fighting fires with temperatures in the high 30s, low humidity and wind gusts of up to 90kmh.

"It's almost explosive," he said.

"Firefighting is impossible - we haven't been firefighting as such, we have just been protecting property.

"We follow the fire as it moves. We have no hope of getting in front of the fire. Getting in front of it would be not only dangerous but futile."

The fire started at Sugarloaf Rd with residents advised to go home and prepare their properties to survive the flames.

Residents were told to use buckets of water, mops and rakes to put out any sparks and embers.

It was not clear how the fire began.

Up to 100 firefighters and 26 units were on the Eastern Shore.

Police closed the Tasman Highway near the Tasman Bridge on the Eastern Shore.

Aurora said up to 3000 homes and businesses on the Eastern Shore were without power due to the fires.

Up to 25 fires were reported on the Tasmania Fire Service's Web site yesterday.

Crews were called to the East Coast, where thick smoke from a large grassfire had closed the Tasman Highway between Beaumaris and Dianas Basin.

The fire that tore through 68ha at Mt Nelson on Wednesday was under control but the public was advised not to use walking tracks in the area as it would be unsafe for several days.

Two fires were burning uncontrolled at Currie on King Island while two fires were also burning on Flinders Island, one contained and one not contained.

At least one bushfire was deliberately lit.

Article taken today from: http://www.examiner.com.au/story.asp?id=365623

bushfire

2006-10-12T14:58:00.000+11:00

Well, just when my dear friend J mentioned that I should post some Tassie pics, how timely that this occured. Wahahha.. So here it is. The area near my accommodation caught fire yesterday. And very dramatically, we were being evacuated. Imagine I'm in my slack clothes of fisherman pants and t-shirt. I was just about to take my medication (yes I am still ill) when my housemate came knocking at my door, all ready to leave with their big bags, that they've forgotten to tell me that we need to leave now.

The thing was, the fire's right behind our place, but due to my very blocked nose, I didn't smell a thing. So I left in a hurry, thinking that surely, it wouldn't be that bad, rite? But this was the sight that I saw. Naked fire and strong wind, pushing nearer to us (you can click on the image for a larger view, hopefully you'll be able to spot the bushfire). Paul drove us down the hill despite the fact that he had just came back from the hospital after a surgery. All I had was my mobile, wallet, shades, watch and keys. I did not even had time to take my passport or the laptop.

Temperture here shot up to 36 degrees in the late afternoon and remained extremely warm till the following evening. Those dedicated policemen and firemen had worked through the night to make sure that the fire comes under control. Thanks alot!!
So I've spent the night over at Ade's place...

Thank goodness that everything was cleared by this morning... But now, I'm back to rushing my assignments again.. Sigh... I hope that my tutors will be understanding enough to allow me a few days' grace! AUGH!! ** (going mad!)

Well, I guess you can't have the best of all worlds..
As Dolly Parton had said: "The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."

coming going

2006-10-07T02:35:00.000+11:00

Exams are coming!
That means holidays are coming!
My friends are coming!
My parents are coming!
Then we're going..
Then I am going..
And we are going!
Then we are coming!
Coming and going... wahaha...
yes, it's confusing..

Things that I'm looking forward to... :-)

is it a working link

2006-09-19T11:40:00.000+10:00

Hey peps,

If anyone out there is reading this, I need your help. Can you please click on the links that I've placed in the side window and let me know if there's any bad links. Cause, strange enough, I can't open any web pages that contains "_" (the under-score, is that how you spell it?). From where I am now, somehow the network does not allow it. Don't ask me why, cause I will not be able to answer you either..

So anyway, your help is most appreciated. Cheers!

mac vs pc

2006-09-14T16:04:00.000+10:00

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to promote Mac. I just simply love the ads...

you can view the fantastic ads here

And here is a spoof version that I saw today.. Enjoy!

my theological worldview

2006-09-12T23:14:00.001+10:00

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

75%

Emergent/Postmodern

68%

Neo orthodox

54%

Roman Catholic

50%

Classical Liberal

43%

Fundamentalist

43%

Modern Liberal

43%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

39%

Reformed Evangelical

29%

What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

Strange. I am all along a charismatic/pentecostal church-goer, but I've scored 2nd lowest in that catagory. Maybe that is why I don't really feel that I fit in. Wahhaha... Anyway, I still think that this finding is true about my 'believe'...

malaysian nite 06

2006-09-11T23:13:00.000+10:00

It was a night of smiles and laughter
A night of flashes and flashing (skin)!
Everyone just look so good - smart, and pretty

The team of overseas christian fellowship sure took quite abit of lime light that night. I'm sure they have left some deep impression on those who came, with performances from Jazz, Singing, to Accapella, they almost included dance too.

The food was fairly good. I have no complains...
And the night went by quickly with lots of small talks and little glances. Nice array of fancy clothes... Interesting to watch. I really liked the Japanese traditional attire. I wonder if he's brought a jacket though.. Anyway..

Time for us to leave, but we can't leave! Cause all of us wants to keep some memories of this day when we looked our best. So EVERYONE took out their cameras and the place just went crazy with flashes all over the place!

1.. 2... 3.. smiles!
over here, over here, 1.. 2.. 3.. *click!
Wait wait.. wait for me... * click *click..
Oh no, run out of memory - (delete)
get ready, this is the last one! Don't forget to smile!!
3.. 2.. 1.. di di di .. *click

tom and tom

2006-09-03T18:37:00.000+10:00

Yes, I have finally gotten a dive here!

Rented the wetsuit and weights from Go Dive and I was so glad that I've been smiling ever since...

It was a lazy start for a Sunday.. Tom came to pick me up and we went to Tom's place to get him out of his bed! Tom made us some breakie and man, it's good! Confused? Well, I did that on purpose.. but obviously there were two Toms.. Hahaha...

So anyway, we went to get the gears and boat, and drove over the bridge to Dodges Ferry. We dropped the anchor at a nearby island and geared up to get into the water. I was sitting at the side of the boat, trying to wear my BCD when suddenly, the boat rocked and I fell into the water! wahaha... And that was just the beginning for more mishaps to come!

I was not able to decend very well as I was not carrying enough weights and as I went in, the swell begin to push me closer to the slope, into the kelps and driving me up the surface. Augh!
So I tried to decend again, and this time, my tank slipped! So Tom told me to surface again. We crawled to the rocks and he helped me fix the tank and he gave me an extra weight too.

Now that that's done, as we swim out and I tried to put my fins back on, snap* my fin strap broke! SIGH... I turned to Tom and I think he can't believe my luck too. So anyway, we went ahead with the broken fin in hand, to head back for the boat.

All went pretty fine for awhile, but Tom insisted that I take one of his fin. So I did, underwater. As we cut through the kelp forest again, I lost him! It's not a big-y but hey, my day had been bad enough already... I bashed out of the kelps and waited for awhile before acending. Good thing was Tom was already in the boat. As I got up the boat, the other Tom was just coming in and he had picked up a few abalones that he was planning to save it for an up-coming party.

We had a quick meal along the way back and went to 9/11 to try some free beer, where Tom's girlfriend is working. Some of the beers really doesn't taste anything like beer at all, but it's really yummy! :-P

So, yeap, this was my first diving experinece here. All in all, it had been pretty fun and laid-back diving day, despite all the unfortunate events!

brighten up your neigbourhood

2006-08-25T15:54:00.000+10:00

If the link is bad, go here ...

http://graffitiresearchlab.com/

cools site. Thought of sharing it with you.. cheers! :0

food

2006-08-21T18:41:00.000+10:00

You know, I realised that I've been taking pictures of the food that I eat at home and I wondered why.
Well, I sort of figured out the reason...
It was all about the desire of creation.

Food is colourful and cheers me up.
Not to mention that the taste satisfy my senses as well as my tummy.. Since I've not been creating any new images, they became my 'latest' creations that I am proud of. That is why I had unconsciously documented them and saved some memories of the creations albeit not able to keep the taste.

But somehow, my food these days had lost some colours...
I hope that the colours will be back soon...

costly dream: abuse of domestic workers

2006-08-20T19:52:00.000+10:00

This is an email attachment that I've received from J.
I really thought this video produced by Human Rights Watch and a Magnum photographer - a photo essay about domestic workers abuse in Asia (Particularly Malaysia and Singapore) was really well done. It had delivered a very truthful statement at the end, but it'll take you about 10min to reach there..

This is what Farheen, (a friend who's actively involve) wrote in the email:

hi all,

Pls see this photo essay and commentary on migrant workers. It's abt 10 min long but really opens our eyes to the injustices going around, for some of us, right here, in Singapore.

I'm involved with the group Migrant Voices, here in Singapore.
On the link below, you will find (on the left) a link to "Related Sites". On this, there is a link to a 'Photo Essay' - these are pics taken by domestic workers in Singapore. We had this exhibition tour many places around Singapore to heighten awareness on their issues.

farheen

Watch it here:
http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essays/costlydream.aspx

If you have more time to spare, read these as well:
Human Rights News
Feminist
Women's Aid Organisation

(Too solemn to add any pictures)
Cheers...

how cool is that!

2006-08-16T22:51:00.001+10:00

Snake Handling is one of the Art School's 2007 Summer Courses! Beat that! Hahaha.. LOL

starbucks

2006-08-15T10:00:00.000+10:00

... the invasion is finally complete ...

daffodil day

2006-08-14T23:26:00.000+10:00

... Don't forget to buy a daffodil next Friday...

Australia . New Zealand . Ireland . Singapore

rainbow connection

2006-08-06T23:46:00.000+10:00

THE RAINBOW CONNECTION
written by Jim Hensen for the `MUPPETS' movie

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it,
And look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing
And what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

All of us under its spell,
We know that it's probably magic

Have you been half asleep?
And have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
It's something that I'm s'posed to be
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.

first flu

2006-08-03T21:02:00.000+10:00

Sorry for not blogging for so long. Was really busy with life and picking up momentum for the new semester. So although it's not something fantastic to blog about, this nasty flu did cause me quite alot of trouble. I'm kindda paying back for missing a day of lecture now. Then again, this semester seem to be an interesting one. I have to go on a field trip for Geography. As for Art History, since I'm doing Asia-Pacific Art, I seem to have an edge to the topic, heh... But that does not mean that I can let my gurads down. I have learnt my lesson the hard way last semester, so I really need to make sure that I get my assignments done early this time. I really wonder how the exams are gonna be like this time, since we have more hands-on, practicals this semester... hmmm... Anyway...

Now, for some happier news. Happy belated birthday to mom. I've passed my learner's licence (for driving) on her birthday. Did it with just one try. You will have to be proud of me.. heeheehee... Now is just a matter of finding someone to teach me to drive and clock 50hours of driving and sit for the practical test! If I pass, I'll be able to visit more places, yeah! And I'll be here waiting for you guys to come and visit me... ;-)

women's retreat

2006-07-23T20:09:00.000+10:00

A weekend just for girls to do girls stuff.. heh .. :P
But I must say, the place is really fantastic!
Too bad that I forgotten to take some shots of the cottage.
Anyway, here's a picture of us sharing a pot of steamboat.

row row row your boat

2006-07-18T19:17:00.000+10:00

Apologise for taking so long to put this up.. It was really fun to do. Thanks Mav for the gift.

white brown with abit of red

2006-07-12T01:53:00.000+10:00

I had a great winter break with A and his soccer team - Nova Certeza. I shall spare you the details of how the games went but you can read about them in Ben's blog. They came to Tasmania and played against the Hobart United. I was tagging along as their photographer. Good thing was I am not the only female there. Aisha who came along with her husband, was placed in charge of everything - from making breakfast to videography. We got along just fine, since we both are not so much into the ball chasing craze. As you can see from their blogs, the team is very well covered by the media back home but they were never being pressured to perform. For the main objective was to promote peace and definately to enjoy the game! It's not everyday that a recreational team gets to travel overseas to play a couple of games, you know. A and I managed to contact Mark and lucky us, the team was able to see snow when we got to the submit of Mt Wellington. I guess it really made their trip all worthwhile as most of the team-mates have never experienced snow before. I suppose it's all written on their faces in the pictures. Next stop, was Canberra and Sydney. The game at Canberra was just crazy. The weather was so cold, the boys were playing in their long johns on. Once they've stopped playing, you can see frost on the ground forming man! Brrrrr...

Sydney was really something. The first thought that came to my mind was that it looked like London had been invaded by the chinese. No pun intended here. A brought us to the Fish Market and we ate to our hearts' content with yum yum sushimis, a lobster and oysters. After A left, Dino and I had one of the most yummy chocolate drink at the Lindt Cafe I was glad to have met Adi and Edwin. They were such wonderful hosts. We went to the Manly beach and had more chocolate drinks at Max Brenner. YUM! And both of them just keep bringing me to more good places to eat - from Japanese, Mongolian to Thai. I'm missing those good food already as I write about them.. mmmm ...

Unfortunately, due to all the travelling, lack of sleep and bad air condition in Sydney, my troublesome nose started to kick in after spending 3 days there. All red and bloody, but what the heck, how can I say no to good chocolate and great food! To my amazement, I could breath a whole lot better once I touched down here again! Since I'm better, and the house is totally empty, I held a little tea party with some new mates from church. It was so good that we had another round the next day :-)

To end it all, I had totally thrown away all my worries for my results and had a great time. I have eaten so many fantastic dishes and made acouple of worthy friends this holiday. Cheers to all of them!

Note: people in the last picture are Sherwin, Jo, Shaun, Anna, Mel, Hame and Dyan (not in order) ...

falling short

2006-06-21T23:08:00.000+10:00

Just finished my exams and you know what? I feel defeated. After the bell rung, I left the examination hall feeling like shit. Cause I knew very well that I am going to flung this paper even before I had stepped into the examination hall. I knew that I will be paying the price for missing two modules in my revision. It is so bad that it will take a miracle for me to even pass. The depression was emplified by the fact that this exam was really a give away and yet, I did not do enough to nail it. Out of the 6 questions that I have to answer in the form of short essays, 3 were the exact same questions that were given to us before as a prep test paper. Here's the crunch. I did try to do the prep paper, so I knew exactly what I should write, but I blanked out and do not know how to put them down during the exam in proper essay form anwers. I've lost the battle...

After the paper, I went to the faculty departments to collect back my essays. They were long ready for collection, but I really do not wish to collect them back, cause I know the result would have affected me. For even before writing them, I already knew what sort of results I will be getting. A pass. Nothing more than that. And sure enough, that's what I got. It is really really painful that despite all the efforts being put in, it's just not good enough. It is like when you enter a running competition, you know you will only come in 5th everytime. It hurts to learn that my command of the 'global language' is non-satisfactory. I'm screwed. Failing to do well in all my favourite subjects and doomed to never to be able to reach the top. It totally upsetted me. And even more frastrated knowing that I ought to do better when I have already put in all my very best... :*(

I know jolly well that I will need some cheering up after the exam, so I had planned to go to the State Cinema to catch one of the Film Festival shows. The ones I saw was Shackleton and Scott: Rivals for The Pole (Part I & II) and Surviving Extremes (Australia). You can read a brief story of the first show here. I suppose I did learn something from these strong-willed men. Shackleton and Scott were doing it for glory, for acknowledgement. I suppose I am going after some sort of acknowledgement as well. Scott's thirst for winning killed him and I guess, it is rather metaphorically applicable to me now too. Shackelton's decisiveness and leadership, makes him a great man to learn from. But their disinterest in learning to adjust themselves to the different culture and enviornment, took them much longer to meet their goals. Sir Douglas Mawson, whose Aussie sense of humour, positive attitude and fast revovery from bad situations are crucial for his survival in the harsh and cold envionment of the South Pole. So, mine is a mere tiny pitfall, and I should learn to climb out of it. Like Mawson who had modified his gears and even ate his dogs, I will need to get over this failure quickly and change my style and attitude towards my studies. It is not yet a death sentence. I cried nontheless, as it really mattered to me. I do pray and hope that I will not miss the boat as I try to make my way towards my own goal.

football fever

2006-06-19T21:51:00.000+10:00

Here's an entry just for the fans
This nudie reads:

"Goooooaaaaaallllllllll!
Why oh why is Germany so far away? We can't very well leave nudie gardens so we're going to do the next best thing - and you're looking at it. Soccer nudie! This nudie is for all the superstar-in-the-making strikers, defenders, forwards, midfielders and goalkeepers of Australian soccer. You know, the little people who run their little hearts out every weekend for their local club. (And all the mums and dads who drive them to and fro!) So grab yourself a great big world-sized cup, and pour yourself the champion of crushies. This one's for you!" and

PS: bottle is recyclable so "use as a soccer ball, then recycle"

As you can see, I had drank them all. I really like the summer drink and the one that they made specially for the firemen who had helped them put out a huge fire some time ago. I just love Aussie companies like this one! Go to nudie's very cute website and checkout tall tim's profile! wahhahaha. If you want to have a clearer picture of him, you'll have to click here.. no here.. nooo.. here.. :)

came to my rescue

2006-06-07T00:47:00.000+10:00

Came To My Rescue
Marty Sampson, Joel Davies, Dylan Thomas
Hillsong - United Live

Key: C

Intro:
C  G  Am  F


Verse 1:
C                  G
Falling on my knees in worship
Am             F                 C
Giving all I am to seek Your face
        G/B              Am  F
Lord all I am is is Yours


Verse 2:
C                    G
My whole life I place in Your hands
Am             F               C
God of mercy Humbled I bow down
          G                Am    C
In your presence at Your throne


Chorus:
  C          G/B   Am
I called You answered
         F                      C
And You came to my rescue and I,
          G/B      Am
Wanna be where You are


Other:
Am        C
Am   G/B  F


Bridge:
Am                G/B    C
In my life be lifted high
                     G/D   Am
In our world be lifted high
               G          F  G  (F)
In our love be lifted high

©2005 Hillsong Publishing (Admin. in U.S. & Canada by Integrity's Hosanna! Music)
All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
CCLI song #4705190

Lyrics are taken from here.
Image is from here. Thanks!

mt wellington

2006-05-28T23:17:00.000+10:00

Skipped morning Sunday Service to go up Mount Wellington today with Gunns20. It is a fundraising effort to help these regular blokes that were being sued by the Tasmanian logging company Gunns Ltd.. You can read all about it from the link.

It started to drizzle abit as I walked downhill to the pickup point, I just hope that the weather will hold up till the trip is over... Anyway, met Leigh (lee) - the nature guide, who drove the van to pick us up. In the van sat - Jenny, Joseph, and another two guys (sorry bad memory forgotten the names). I remember what they're all doing (working or studying etc), but it'll be abit too long winded to write. So let's get back to the trip yeah.. So we picked up Trish after me - the event co-ordinator/fundraiser lady who's working for Gunns20 while studying at the uni.

The ride there was pretty quick and we passed by the Cascade Brewery. Leigh told us a really interesting history about the company. But the thing that striked me the most was the fact that the brewery got such a huge plot of land back then was because the piece of land is uneven, no one wants uneven lands! Spring water flows down the cascade, which is used to make the beer and other bottled waters, that's why it's named Cascade Brewery.

There's lots of cool stories, just too many to remember. Ask Leigh, he'll be most willing to give you a tour and tell the stories all over again. By the way, he's a really dedicated guide, carried a 60L pack full of food, mats, first aid, and equipments (see pic1). Poor chap was walking slowly behind us, but he really made sure that we're all safe and good, making this a great and informed tour!

Good thing was the rain had started to stop when we stopped at the Sphinx Rock lookout for morning tea. The view is fantastic. And Trish dished out the hot drinks, some homemade cookies, muffins and chocolate balls that are simply YUMMY. I'm gonna try make some myself next time.

After the good break, we began to walk back to the van and Leigh drove us all the way up to the submit. It's really windy up there and bloody cold. As I was taking some pictures of the breathtaking views, I thought I saw some tiny flies swirling around me. Then Joseph who was with me pointed out to me that it's snow! Wowowo... No, I did not make a fool out of myself, despite the fact that it's my first time experiencing snow fall...

As we got back inside the warm van, more snow poured as we make our way back. When we got back in town, it was all gloomy and wet. But, it had been such a great day that it does not matter anymore.

Bumped into Henry, Kelvin and Jo-a after that, so we had lunch at Mac-ers. And attended the evening service with Melissa after that..

What a fantastic Sunday! :-)

new friends, old friends

2006-05-27T23:18:00.000+10:00

This was all turely timely, as I was pretty upset about my subject results. I needed some happy moments, someone to talk to and something that will cheer me up.

So it was great that I have finally made some new friends. I met Mel and Anna in church and they are such angels. This is Anna from Malaysia. A very cute girl that everybody loves. In the midst of our exam blues and assignment stresses, it was great to chill out with friends like Anna that just makes life rich again... Anna came to my place to visit and I made her Hainanese Chicken Rice. Dad will be so proud of me! We stayed over at each other's place for a night each, cause we have just too much things to do together! lol ...

Then, yeap! I went to the Cadbury chocolate factory with Stacey and Elyse. We've been talking about it for such a long time, but we're too occupied with exams and assignments. So, it was really fantastic to finally make the trip. For Stacey and Elyse, the last time they've been there was aeons ago, on a school field trip. I suppose all the kids here must have at least one field trip to the Factory! :P

For hygine purposes, our belongings are being kept away and we have to wear the funny cap. My ears had to be taped too, cause of my ear-rings. By the way, they have caps for man's facial hairs too! They look kindda silly, but yeah, man who love their beards will not mind that. I gave mine to Teddy at the end of the day. Anyway, visitors are no longer allowed to take pictures of the process and no chocolate sampling during the tour. Thus, I have no picies to post. Little appetiser chocolates were given before the trip. Right after the tour, the guide opens a huge chest and we got a box of chocolate each instead. At every floor, you can just breathe chocolate. From milk to orange and dark chocolate! Yumm... I bought heaps more at the factory retail outlet before we headed home. Think they should be able to last me till next summer.

But what the heck, I needed the caffine, phenlyethylamine and something to curb my andrealine and depression. Exams are drawing near. My art major assignment's due soon too and I still don't have much material to write on.

Just when I'm worried out of my wits, I saw Mav online, and I was desperate enough to do anything to get some information on the artist that I am writing about. And sweet Mav, agreed to help me hunt down some books and send them to me ASAP. What a pal! I owe you a big one, Mav!

Sincerely, I'm really grateful for you people out there that had been in my life.
It's during these moments of anguish that one will see true friendships...

Thanks Pals! :)

nasty assignments

2006-05-17T09:24:00.000+10:00

There will be a couple of backdated entries that will be posted soon...

Busy with major assignments right now... Akan Datang!

Cheers!

mission impossible III

2006-05-14T21:03:00.000+10:00

My first movie here with a bunch of church people.

http://www.missionimpossible.com/
Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt
Keri Russell as Lindsey

If you've gone into the theatre with the impression or expectations of previous MIs, then you're in for disappointment. In this movie, Tom Cruise played a softy. And this time, they've made it more like a romantic comedy! Thoughout the show, it's just lots of laughs, especially when Tom Cruise shouted in Mandarin: "Rang Kai! Rang Kai!" (make way).. We just flipped... Nevertheless, their performance was superb.

Keri Russell - who played Felicity, a hit TV series of the same name, looked so different from her previous image. I thought that it was rather refreshing. Great actress. Love her talent.. Too bad she died even before we even reach halfway through the show.

singaporeans

2006-05-13T02:02:00.000+10:00

Went for bible studies today. And there are sooo many Singaporeans. Okie... we're the minority here. There're more Malaysians. So that's great! I like it this way.. Still, one look, one conversation and you can tell distinctly that they are from the tiny island - Singapore. Wah.. It's not such a bad thing really. We have common subjects that others will not be able to fully comprehen.

But the funny thing was they all thought that I'm from Korea or Japan. Wahaha. Yeah, it's not the first, but none of them got it right even after 5 tries (after naming all the common asian countries that students here are from).

I am so drained by all the assignments. Then again, I feel that I'm doing too much, to a point that I feel that most of the readings are redundant... Anyway, I'm just super glad to have just had chatted with Mr. L my lecturer in Singapore. With his help, my major Arts paper will be so much easier.. Thank goodness for his kindness..

I suppose this is the kind of moment where you will feel a great sense of nationality. Where people from the same place stick together, and help one another. Ahh... what a sensation. Its a warm fuzzy feeling. Mmmm... I guess, I'd not had felt this way if not for being far from home for quite awhile.