=)

I woke up to the sound of the rain in the morning. In an attempt to get my butt moving and beat the procrastination, I took a quick shower... and !! I think I shall add showering in the morning to my wake-up routine from now on, along with brush teeh, wash face, put moisturizer, clean earhole, drink a cup of water. (opps, I just realized this is a confession that smelly smelly Chengwei doesn't like showering in the morning - too cold!)

Anyway, I'm feeling happy now. I'm dreading the day ahead, fully expecting myself to fall asleep in class... but inside, my heart is smiling, and I know the day will be fine. Because today is a good day, I just bought something for someone! Oooo can't wait can't wait can't wait. I'm getting poorer, but whatever, I like spending money on myself, people... well, I'm just addicted to spending huh.

Well, I can't spill the beans on who/what/when. So I shall continue in with my secret grinning for the rest of the day.

Oh gosh, why am I so excited! It's not as if I just bought myself something!

=)

=) =) =)

For the first time in 7 months, I ran around the NUS campus today! 2 rounds, plus the 143 NUH steps on the way back. Yay, I'm not as lousy as I imagined I would be.

In a way, I'm glad to be back, in my own room, my own personal space. Much as I love to be at home, I like being here in PGP... it saves me so much time from travelling and in exchange, I can run, do what I want, and not be tempted to skip classes. The weekends are always something to look forward to... being away from home, makes home sweeter than ever. And now that my mum has familiarized herself with MSN ever since I went to NYC, we can chat online when I'm in PGP!

I'm one of the few privileged enough to have watch the NDP live for 10+ years... so much so that no matter how 'special' each year's parade was supposed to be, I was hardly impressed... at the end of it, everything's the same. So, when we stopped getting tickets, I stopped watching the parades, not even on TV. Yesterday, expecting something different since it was at Marina Bay, I tuned in to watch NDP 2007. It still looked the same as every single parade I have been to. What a disappointment, but that's not the point-

Laugh at me, but when the National Anthem/Pledge came on, I just felt like I needed to show some respect, and stood up. So there I was, silly girl singing the national anthem in her room. I guess it brought back memories... I miss the feeling of being in the spectators' stand, and the overwhelming sense of pride when thousands of Singaporeans sing the national anthem together. I remember my Dad telling me that no matter how many times he has been to the NDP (and he must have been at least 30 times!), he has to resist the urge to tear whenever the national anthem comes on. I think I now understand what he means.

Deep down, no matter how may grouses I have, I'm glad to be where I am, even if its only because I think life is easy in this sunny little island.

I won't be expecting any surprises, but I think I'll be watching the NDP on TV from now on, for the sake of it.

Or until I get tickets again, if ever.

Lazing on a Sunday morning

The contentment remains. =)

So it's Sunday again, the end of the week, time does fly. It's a seemingly ordinary Sunday morning, but it's not any other Sunday morning either.

I was awakened early by Liza, who was preparing to go to church. As she got changed, we chatted while I lazed in bed. Laughed, as she asked me if her clothes matched, like I always ask her if I look fine just before going out. I suggested different colours to go with her skirt, or wearing my white skirt instead. She asked me if I wanted to try her new conditioner... girl talk. I like girl talk.

After she left, I continued to bum around. It's Sunday, it's the maid's day off, it's my day of rest, being alone in the room. No running this morning- i've promised myself a break. I simply alternated between reading and falling asleep. And it felt nice. Everytime I felt like I was ready to get my butt off the bed and wake up, I wound up cuddling up under my blanket, for more reading, dreaming, peace. I just didn't want to get out of bed, and I was perfectly happy to let myself laze. =)

Who cares about sleeping 7 hours a day, it's Sunday!

I ended up taking out my golden box- a box filled with letters, cards, and other random articles which hold memories. I reread some of the mail I received while I was in NYC, and a revelation made my day. I thought I couldn't bring myself to look back on New York. No matter how much of it was wonderful, the darkness of the last couple of weeks seemed to overshadow everything, ruin it. Such that I thought I'd never want to think about New York, being away. But this morning, rereading those words, I realized it's not true. There were so many more happy memories, things to remember New York by... now that my perspective has been somewhat fixed, tbe bad parts seems so small, insignificant. I'm grateful for the experience of NYC, I miss NYC, I want to remember NYC. =) And the warm fuzzy feeling that while I was gone, there were people who cared.

And how much I care for all of them too. (yes, my dear ones, know that I love you!)

It's not any other Sunday morning, it's a good Sunday morning. Boring, but nice.

Yesterday was great too. I had a great time helping out with a charity card booth along Wisma, then dinner, and shopping with the parents. And oh, I decided I couldn't bare the discomfort of having my hair covering my face anymore, and showed my parents the new earhole, figuring that they'll find out anyway. ANd they weren't pissed, yay.

This is my happy drug.

I sound like an overly high Energizer bunny nowadays, don't I?

Green Day!

Meet Ms Green Finger...(aka Green Panda aka Yellow pineapple)
...and Ms Zara Green...
... and their green food- mini chasoba (really mini), seaweed sushi, big chasoba (yumyumyum) and green apple + celery juice!
Guess what happened after slacking in front of a green board...
...no, I didn't buy new green earrings...

I pierced the top of my left ear!

I'm still in absolute disbelief... I never thought I will do a piercing there. In fact, Manda was contemplating whether to do a second piercing at the top of her ear and I was saying that I personally find that girls tend to look slightly (make that very very very very very slightly, now that I've got one too) less feminine when they spot such piercings. She went ahead anyway... and somehow, I was tempted to pierce a 4th earhole on my right earlobe, until the sales assistant told me that it would involve piercing a hole through some bone at the back of my ear and I chickened out. So, we left the shop...

... but the urge to get a new piercing remained. And 5 minutes later, I declared that I wanted to pierce the top of my ear too! (Just found out it's called the Helix of the human ear) So much freaking out over piercing through the back of my bone and infections (for the record, it barely hurt). Now, I've a hole right through my bone, and it'll take 6 months to heal. AND it's really hot now, but I don't dare to tie up my hair... my mum will freak out if she sees the new stud, as she did with my 3rd earhole.

When I said it was an urge, I meant a huge, burning compulsion. I've no idea why, but everytime something major happens in my life, I would end up getting my ears pierced. Randomly, on a whim, for no good reason at all. Perhaps it's a mild form of self harming. Or maybe, I just feel the need to leave a mark to remember the event by. I don't know, but I swear I'm not piercing my ears ever again... or I might end up with a earful of holes by the time I'm a 70 (y)ear old granny who is finally done with all the ups and downs of life, haha.

Just two days ago, I told a good friend over dinner that I rarely do things on impulse. That even if I wanted to do something strange/dumb/quirky/insane/etcetcetc, I would plan it out first. Because I like control in my life, self-control. And today, I just realized that those rules don't apply to all the holes in my ears- all sheer impulse! I think that's the only exception to the rule...

wait, I think shopping might just be another exception!

Enough about ears. (Manda, now I think we have a thing about ears, but you'll probably give me a earful if I spill it out here eh?)

Manda Panda's going to India for 10 days... babe, I'm going to miss you!!! =(

Ray, quick come back from Germany, I'm dying of boredom and I want to play Chinese Chess!

Oh, I bought The Undercover Economist today, can't wait to start reading it once I'm done with Living Brands. (I'm really becoming a nerd, how unbecoming!)

Awhile back, I didn't think all these was possible. The relief is amazing. I hope it lasts. =)

The Bookworm Phase (Nerd in the making?)

A trip to Borders/Kinokuniya/Library@Orchard made me a happy girl today!

Deciding that I was (mentally) sick of being (physically) sick and cooped up at home, I headed down to Orchard in the afternoon. And so, I spent the day browsing books at book stores... and all of a sudden, there're so many books tempting my purse strings! Just from the business section along, I came across The Tipping Point, Freakonomics, Quirkology, The Starbucks Story etcetcetc... I pretty much freaked myself out by the number of books I flipped open, and actually started reading, like... erm, Network Marketing (still didn't get what that is though.)

All of a sudden, it feels like there're so many books in the world I should have read, and I haven't read!

So I headed to Library@Orchard, which proved to be yet another out-of-body experience. I parked myself at the non-fiction half of the library... first the Business Section, then Psychology, then the Health section... and looked at books on Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, Moods, Finance etcetcetc... and realizing I couldn't possibly borrow so many books, ended up sitting there for two hours to finish reading a book. And that's not all...

Recently, I borrowed one of those dumb-blonde-chick-flicks-frivolous-girly-shophaholic-type-usually-pink books in an attempt to cure myself from the sore throat misery. I've only read half of it (and it is pretty hilarious)... but just now, I dumped it straight into the book drop so that I could borrow something as boring interesting boring interesting as Living Brands.

Goodness, this must be the consequence of being unemployed, sick, and bored. Right now, I feel like I could park my butt at the library and catch up on all the reading every single day... but who knows, I might wake up tomorrow, pick up Living Brands, and wonder what on earth was I thinking!

But honestly, I don't think so. I think I just rediscovered the nerd in me pleasure in reading. And, my cold actually feels much better from all those books, haha. =)

Oh well, I didn't get the job with Apple. Another job interview on Thursday... it's damn far from my place, but I seriously need something to do, better to be bored and earning money, then bored and spending money. If not... it's the library!

And I've a new hobby... grocery shopping! I don't believe it, but I actually volunteer to do the groceries for my family nowadays (well, and drag my maid along with me, since I can't differentiate fresh and rotten fruits/veg/meat for nuts). And I actually find myself enjoying it... and spending ages walking round and round, comparing the different brands, prices, nutrition etcetcetc, even when I'm not planning on buying any of them. And today, just before going home, I decided to go to Marketplace@Paragon for a short walk... it sells loads of interesting stuff!

I must be weird. When will I stop developing strange strange quirks?!

And Manda, I'm absolutely looking forward to Friday, despite the dreaded trip to S _ _.... because it's Green Day! Most must be wondering wth is Green Day, but let's save it for another day. =)

Happy thoughts

I have happy thoughts in my head today, and decided they deserve to be recorded down. They're probably really small things to most, but sometimes, the simplest things make me happy, for no reason at all. =)

So starting from yesterday...
I woke up in a pretty foul mood. Tired, irritable, fearful, anxious, stressed. When I was done with topping up my EZ Link at YCK, I was terribly afraid of screwing up upon reaching home. This might sound crazy, but I decided to take a 30 minute walk home under the hot sun instead, and called Qy to talk for awhile. I was drenched in sweat by the time I got home, but after a shower... I was amazingly calm, and confident that I would get through the day. And I've been feeling pretty good until now!

Qy came over to my place in the afternoon... and we ended up watching Living with Lydia. A part of me was thinking, 'wth?! I can't believe I'm watching this.', but the other part just couldn't stop laughing! We laughed, and laughed, and laughed. And played 'daidi' with my brother, and laughed. Laughing can be really nice sometimes.

Went down to town for a meeting with the Health and Fitness committee in the evening. Well, I never got to know the committee very well, especially after being away for half a year, but it was surprisingly nice to see everyone again. Somehow, the company made me feel myself. As I made silly remarks (as I always do :S), chatted on and on... I saw the old part of me.

My mum came to pick me up, and we stopped for fruit juice on the way home (Manda: I HAD GREEN APPLE CELERY JUICE for $2!!! hehe). She caught me by surprise when she asked, 'Do you think you'll ever get married?'... but I ended up telling her many things, things I always thought a parent should never know. But I talked anyway, we talked, laughed... I'm such a mummy's girl sometimes, but I've to say, my mum's an amazing woman. I'm so thankful I called her for help when I was in New York- After my deepest, darkest secret was out, it feels like there's nothing much more to hide. Or rather, I might as well not hide.

And now, this morning...

I ran in and out of upper pierce, twice! I'm pretty sure I must have covered at least 8-9km...yay. I was half regretting it during the second run, but the satisfaction at the end is always great. And the cool weather really helped! Just thinking of the breeze against my face makes me pretty sure of a good day today. :)

In New York, I missed all the food in Singapore, so damn much... but when I'm back, I miss my NYC staples! Like Aunt Jeminah's Frozen Waffles... and it was so exciting when I discovered that it's sold at Plaza Singapura! Yep, I bought it... and this morning, I heated up two pieces for my brother (that idiot woke up late, skipped school, and forgot to wake me up to run.)... and he said it was nice! It's not like I literally made the waffles from scratch... but making breakfast for my brother made put me in an unusually good mood. Maybe it's the comforting thought that 'Sometimes, I can be a nice sister'. haha. Or maybe I just love feeding people around me.

And I need to find some good ciabatta bread...I used to love those at Delifrance, but after NYC, I've decided that they just don't make the cut!

Finally... this is absolutely ridiculous, but I had my favourite Kellogg's Cornflakes with Cafe 21 instant coffee this morning! I know, I've strange eating habits... but I can't help it that I love dipping my cornflakes into coffee. It makes perfectly logical sense to me... I don't drink milk at all, so what's the next best thing to soak cereal in? Coffee! Yum Yum Yum. I wish I could have this for breakfast, lunch, dinner. (except that my mum will kill me- I've no idea why, but she just refuses to let me buy cornflakes. When I buy them, I've to hide them in my room, which makes me feel like... a sneaky kid hiding stolen junk food. :s)

Did I say this already? Sometimes, the simplest, smallest things make me happy. Quirky, but that's just me.

Let me remember this feeling of contentment. To help me keep going.